Daijiworld Media Network - Virginia
Virginia, Jan 29: Brendan Banfield, the Virginia man facing trial for the alleged killing of his wife and a stranger, took the witness stand on Wednesday and described the accusation that he planned his wife’s murder as “absolutely crazy”, even as he admitted to having an affair with the Brazilian au pair accused of being his accomplice.
Banfield, 40, a former IRS agent, told the court that he began a “relationship” with Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 25, in August 2022 — nearly a year after he and his wife, Christine Banfield, hired her to care for their daughter, now aged 7.
“I did not stop her advances,” Banfield testified, but strongly denied any conspiracy to carry out a double murder.
“I think that it’s an absurd line of questioning… that a plan was made to get rid of my wife,” he said. “That is absolutely crazy.”
Banfield has pleaded not guilty and could face life in prison if convicted. His testimony is expected to continue on Thursday.
During his appearance in Fairfax County court, Banfield said he met Christine Banfield when they were 18-year-old freshmen at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and described their early years together as inseparable. When asked if he loved his wife, he replied, “Very much.”
He also acknowledged that their marriage had faced strain, including affairs on both sides, and that linker they had sought couples counselling in an attempt to save the relationship.
Banfield told the court that his affair with Peres Magalhaes began while his wife and daughter were away visiting relatives in New York, and he was at home with the au pair.
The prosecution’s case, however, has relied heavily on Peres Magalhaes’ earlier testimony. She claimed Banfield was trying to avoid divorce and that the pair used Christine’s laptop to create a fake account on the BDSM website FetLife to lure Joseph Ryan to the Banfield home. Ryan allegedly believed he was arriving for a staged fantasy encounter, but prosecutors say the plan was to later frame him for Christine’s death.
Peres Magalhaes was arrested eight months after the February 2023 killings and later pleaded guilty in 2024 to a reduced manslaughter charge.
Banfield’s defence has questioned her credibility and motives, pointing to letters she wrote after her arrest expressing frustration that Banfield did not visit her enough and fear of spending her life in prison. The defence also highlighted her mental health struggles, including depression and suicidal thoughts, and accused prosecutors of pressuring her due to her vulnerable position as an immigrant far from family support.
Banfield was indicted nearly a year after Peres Magalhaes was charged. He faces four counts of aggravated murder and additional charges linked to the use of a firearm during the alleged crime.
The incident dates back to February 24, 2023, when Peres Magalhaes called 911 claiming a friend had been hurt. Banfield then took the phone and told the dispatcher an “unknown male” had entered the home.
“There’s somebody here. I shot them,” Banfield said in the emergency call played during the trial. “He stabbed her… What do I do?”
Police later found Christine Banfield fatally stabbed in an upstairs bedroom, while Ryan was discovered nearby with fatal gunshot wounds.
The high-profile trial continues as the court weighs conflicting accounts over whether the deaths were the result of a calculated plot or a different chain of events.