Virginia Husband Denies Plot in Double Homicide Amid Au Pair Affair
Brendan Banfield testified in Fairfax County Circuit Court that he loved his wife and did not plot to kill her despite an affair with the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães. Prosecutors say Banfield and Magalhães lured Joe Ryan to their home and killed him, while Banfield stabbed his wife and staged the scene; Magalhães has pleaded guilty to a downgraded manslaughter charge and testified about the alleged plan, making Banfield’s denial a central issue as he faces aggravated-murder charges and the possibility of life in prison.