Inside The Banfield Trial: Guilty Verdict | Forensic Files

Just a trigger warning for you. Some of this reporting is disturbing, so please [music] listen and watch with care.
Welcome to a special episode of the 48 hours podcast inside the Bfield trial. I'm your host, 48 Hours correspondent
Ann Marie Green, and we have a verdict in the case of Brendan Banfield. He's a man charged with the aggravated murder
of his wife Christine and another man, Joseph Ryan, on February 24th, 2023. Banfield was found guilty of two counts
of aggravated murder. He was also found guilty of child endangerment and the use
of a firearm. So, this case was dubbed the Opair affair because of Brendan's relationship with the Banfields livein
nanny from Brazil, Juliana Perez Magalles. Now, Juliana pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the
shooting of Joseph Ryan and cooperated with the government, testifying against Brendan. So, here to discuss this
verdict along with Brendan's own testimony is 48 hours producer Michelle Sigona. Michelle, you were in the
courtroom as all the events unfolded and we are so happy to have you here. >> Amory, it's great to see you. Thank you
so much for having me. >> Um, so there was a lot of evidence in this case. uh you know, a lot of digital
evidence, a lot of physical evidence, um certainly testimony from law enforcement, testimony from experts, but
really at the end of the day, it really felt like this was a case of he said, she said. Brendan versus his former
lover, Juliana. There are only four people who know what really happened, and unfortunately, two have died. This
is all about Brendan versus Juliana. Here's prosecutor Jenna Sans's final argument about what happened.
>> Brendan Banfield and Juliana Perez Maggalis colluded to kill Joseph Ryan and Christine Banfield.
That makes sense. They created accounts. They chatted up potential victims. They got Joe Ryan
into the house and then they shot him. Brendan stabbed Christine. let her bleed out on the floor and then dripped,
smeared, and wiped her blood on Joseph Ryan's body to make it look like he had attacked Christine.
Then they called the police. Brendan let Juliana take the fall and it took a little bit of doing, but here we
are and it's his turn to be held accountable. >> Whereas Brendan's attorney, John
Carroll, said this. Juliana made it up. She told the Commonwealth what they wanted to hear
and without question they just took it as their story. She told this lie to secure secure
herself a deal that benefited her. >> So we talked the other week about Juliana's testimony. Everyone was really
surprised that she was amongst the first people first witnesses to testify. Um, can you remind our listeners though of
this kind of elaborate alleged plot? >> Absolutely. The Bfields hired Juliana to
care for their daughter Valerie. This was in 2021. Juliana was in her early 20s at the time and is part of the Opair
arrangement. Juliana lived in their Northern Virginia home. She said she started a relationship with Brendan in
August 2022 and he was the one who came up with the plan to kill his wife that October. She says they created a fake
email account for Christine along with a fake account on a fetish app called Fetlife. The idea was to lure someone to
the house under the pretense of aggressive sex with a knife, but then frame him for the stabbing murder of
Christine. Joseph Ryan was the man prosecutors say they targeted. Now, prosecutors also said that Brendan
planned to then enter the bedroom and kill the quote intruder with a gun. And so a big part of proving or disproving
this whole thing depending on whether you're on defense or prosecution was about this catfishing component of it,
right? Because part of the argument was well, it was Christine online making all
this these arrangements or was it? You're right. There were days and days of testimony highlighting just about
every login to the account and every message that was sent on Fetife. Also um clear it was hard to prove who was using
those devices. So even if it was Christine's phone or laptop, the prosecution made the point that you
couldn't prove it was her behind the device. So, to my surprise, Brendan took the stand. Uh, I say to my surprise
because often uh defendants in murder trials don't, but you you never know. And the prosecutor emphasized that this
is the first time anyone has heard from Brendan from his story basically from start to finish. He did not give a full
statement at the scene, at the hospital, in the days and weeks and months after his wife and Joseph Ryan uh died inside
of his own bedroom. And you hear portions from him in a 911 call or maybe, you know, some clips from a
police body cam, but that's it. This is the first time from start to finish we're hearing this. And Brendan said he
wanted to tell his story earlier at Juliana's trial, but then she took a plea and he really didn't have an
opportunity. So, let's dig into what he said when he was testifying. I want to talk about the relationship he had with
Juliana. How does he say it began? Who was responsible for starting this affair? According to him, according to
Brendan, he says Juliana is the one who started making advances towards him. He went into great detail about how they
started this physical relationship with one another inside the home. He also said Juliana basically um what he told
her was this is just an affair. and that he had had previous affairs and this would not change his relationship with
Christine. Uh Christine was a his partner for 19 years. 12 of those years they were actually married and right now
you can hear from his lawyer John Carol. >> Now was Christine aware of your affair?
>> I don't believe she was aware of the affair between me and Juliana. >> Was she aware of your previous affairs?
>> Uh she was aware of at least two previous affairs. >> Okay. And and likewise, were you aware
of her affairs? >> Yes, I was also aware that she had that she had affairs. >> So, this is the first time we're hearing
this. Brendan says that Christine had affairs as well. >> It felt like that part about Christine
having affairs was just sort of slipped in, mentioned in passing very quickly. >> And that is the real unfortunate part in
these types of cases. Amory, you know this. The defense can make any kind of claim about a victim. And unfortunately,
Christine is not here to be a voice and to defend herself. Brendan testified she
had a previous BDSM affair when they lived in New York, was interested in sexual violence. Again, this his claims
um and that she was a sexual assault nurse examiner setting her up that if she had some sort of possible history in
engaging in violent sex relations, but it was something he said he had not had any interest in pursuing. Again, this is
his version of events. I will tell you that prosecutor Jenna Sans said, and this was during closings when I was in
the courtroom, that there was no digital history of Christine using dating websites, fetish sites, or talking to
other men prior to this alleged plot. She said there was zero evidence of Christine engaging in rough sex. And in
addition, we learned Christine has a blood disorder and her father testified to what she went through as a child all
the way up to an adult. So the prosecution is like, why would Christine invite someone into her home, her family
home with a knife, knowing that if she were to be cut, it could be a serious situation. So, the last time we spoke
about this case for the last episode, you know, we talked about Brendan and Juliana being in love like this, you
know, like that was part of kind of the motivation for this plot, but then Brendan seemed to be really downplaying
the relationship. I mean, what what's that about? >> And the prosecutor challenged him. You
better believe that on that cross-examination. >> Did you love her? >> There was points that I told her that I
loved her. You told her that you love her, but you didn't actually love her. >> I would say
I would say that I had feeling that I had feelings for her, but they weren't nearly as strong as feelings for my
wife. >> The Commonwealth even admitted multiple lengthy love letters for the jury to
see. This was after Juliana was arrested, professing his love for her. One letter even mentioned he was
obsessed with her happiness. M. So, in regards to this alleged plot, Brendan's attorney just flat out asked
him if he created a plan with Juliana to kill his wife, Christine. Here's his response.
>> No, there was no plan. Um, at this point, our relationship is maybe 6 to 8 weeks old.
I think that it's an absurd line of questioning for something that is not serious that we're
that a plan was made to get rid of my wife. That is absolutely crazy. >> So 6 to 8 weeks. First off, I did not
know it was just 6 to 8 weeks, but I What is he inferring that that's just too short of a time to plot with your
lover to kill your wife? that they need, you know, maybe if the relationship had
been 6 months longer, that would be a reasonable argument. I think that's exactly what he's trying to say is that
this relationship is too short. They were just scratching the surface and that, you know, it wasn't serious. So
why would he concoct this plan and move forward with it and get rid of his wife of 19 years for someone he's not serious
with? That's not the strongest argument. I mean, when is there ever a reason to kill your wife? I mean, if it's a bad
relationship, get out of it. Divorce. Sort of the normal stuff. >> Yeah, >> that's right. Exactly. And I was also
struck by Brendan's description of Juliana choosing to be with him whenever she could. This is what he says. And the
reason why I bring this up is because it comes up when when Brendan is going to the shooting range to practice for his
job as an IRS agent. He has a gun as part of his job. And prosecutors allege Juliana went to the range to practice
shooting as part of the murder plot. Brendan says she was just tagging along. >> In in having her come to the range, was
there any plan that she was going to back you up on some plan? >> I mean, there [clears throat] there was
no plan at this point when we had gone to the range. There was no there was no of none of the suspect
email account. There was no Fetlife account. There was no Telegram messages. None of that existed at the point that
at the point that we went to the range. >> Okay. Now, did Fetife or Gmail or Telegram ever exist for you?
I did not know about them um until I did not know about them till after Christine died. Um
I didn't get to really I didn't get to see them until after uh Juliana's arrest.
>> So there's no plan at this point. It's a weird way to say it. >> It is weird. So, if Brandon is
suggesting that this thing with Juliana is an affair, it hasn't really been going on that long, just what was kind
of the status of their relationship at the time of the killings? >> Well, this is very interesting. Brendan
says Juliana had broken up with him several times and on February 24th, they weren't together. He claims she was
upset when he would [music] spend time with Christine and she ended their relationship in the days leading up to
this deadly incident. That is really fascinating. [music] So the last time we spoke, we played
some sound from the prosecutor and the prosecutor really laid out um kind of the elaborate choreography that unfolded
on February 24th, the day of the killing. I think it's worth it, Michelle, to kind of like go over how
all these things unfolded. >> Absolutely. So, the prosecutor said that Brendan and Juliana had arranged this
fake outing at the zoo for his daughter Valerie. Juliana would be the one supposedly taking her there. And around
6:00 a.m., Brendan allegedly messaged Joe Ryan posing as Christine to confirm a 7:20 a.m. arrival. They say Christine
was asleep. Now, Brendan said he woke up early. He got ready. He saw Christine awake with her phone. He said he never
touched her devices. And as for the zoo outing, he says Christine was the one who had arranged for Juliana and their
daughter to go and this was not the other way around. He said he had a big day at work meeting about a case and his
manager would be there. So that brings us to a surprise witness who testified after Brendan. It was his acting
supervisor at the time of the killings. >> When Mr. Vanfield testified that he had
a scheduled meeting with his manager, that would have been yourself or Juliet Jones. Is that correct?
>> Those are the only two people that I can look that have been his manager. Yes.
>> Okay. And she was out of the country and you were in Baltimore and not planning
on meeting him. Correct. >> Correct. >> This surprise witness also confirmed on the stand uh he was not interviewed by
police on the week that the investigators were out at his office interviewing co-workers. I I think he
may have been away or or out of town. Um so he was not able to interview with police at the time. So he did not give
them a formal statement. But after hearing Brendan Banfield testify on the stand, that's when this coworker who was
the supervisor at the time came forward and wanted to let everyone know uh that he did not have a meeting that morning
and he was in Maryland. >> Mhm. Okay. So, let's talk about the leaving of the house cuz um Juliana
testified and and she said that she left the house with Valerie and she parked nearby so that she could have a clear
view of the house. Brendan goes to a nearby McDonald's. Juliana says that when she sees Joe Ryan arrive at the
house, she calls Brendan at the McDonald's. Um, and all three of them, Brendan, Juliana, and Valerie, return to
the house and they all enter through the basement. And this is when Juliana testified that Brendan went upstairs to
the bedroom and she followed. She said that she saw him shoot Joe and then stab Christine.
Then she shot Joe a second time. This is all according to her testimony. What did Brendan say? How did he
describe this? He said he went to the McDonald's. He picked up breakfast on the way to work.
He was in the restroom for seven minutes and also he sat in the parking lot and and apparently ate his food then went
inside when he got a panicked call from Juliana. He tried calling Christine, but
it went straight to voicemail. Brendan said when he came home, he went he took a direct route home. When he got there,
um he went inside. He heard what he believed to be sexual noises and assumed Christine was having another affair.
This is again according to Brendan. But then sounds from Christine sounded painful and that's when he decided to go
upstairs. He had his gun from work as well as his handcuffs. This is when he said he encountered Joseph Ryan with his
wife. >> You saw a knife there. What were you thinking in terms of Joe Ryan with a knife to Christine's
neck? I was extremely terrified. Um, I don't know that I've ever been more panicked in my life.
At the same time, he admitted he really couldn't see Christine's neck due to her
hair being thick and curly, but he said he believed she had blood in her hair. He also said he tried to deescalate the
situation, telling Joe to drop the knife. He says then he saw Joe forcefully stab Christine, causing
Christine to fall to the ground, and that's when Brendan said he shot the gun at Joe. Brendan says he saw a bloody
wound on Christine's neck and started applying pressure at this point. But [snorts] by this time, uh Brendan says
he noticed Juliana in the room. He claims he asked her to call 911 and to watch Joe as he tended to Christine. He
said Juliana stepped away to the master bathroom. Christine told me that she was bleeding
out and that um that she was sorry and that she loved me. Um >> and what did you tell her?
Uh it was at this point that uh there was another shot. Um and and I looked up and I saw that
Juliana had my other firearm and I was stunned that Juliana had shot. And Brendan said he was initially unaware
that Juliana got the gun from the safe in the bedroom closet. Now, this is different than what we heard from
Juliana who said he gave her the gun before leaving the McDonald's that morning and she kept it in her pocket.
>> Okay. So then, how does the prosecution handle cross-examination with Brendan?
>> Prosecutor Jenna Sans did not hold back Emory. She challenged him on his version
of the stabbing and of the shooting. >> So, how long do you think passed between
your instructions to Joe Ryan to put down the knife? Let her go. Let her go. Let her go. And your wife is bleeding
before you shot him. >> Not that long. Under a minute. >> Under a minute. Okay. So if we were to
count out 60 seconds, 1 2 3 so on and so forth, that would be a minute. And in that time, you did not shoot him.
>> I did not shoot him. And I did not shoot him prior to Christine going to the floor.
>> Okay. And at that point in time that she's going to the floor, we're at least
six stab wounds in, right? To the best of my knowledge, it's hard to it's hard to see. Also, I'm aiming
down my sight at Joe and so I'm not focused exactly on Christine. You You have a narrowed view when you're aiming
down when you're aiming down a firearm. >> And you just couldn't pull the trigger,
could you? >> I was afraid. >> Okay. And you are a trained law enforcement officer, correct?
I am, but I have my shooting record is um on the lower end for the qualifications.
>> He repeated that he was worried about hitting Christine by mistake. Uh the prosecutor then asked, "Well, why didn't
he use his handcuffs on Joe after he did shoot him?" And Brendan said he probably
should have done that. That's what he admits to. M and the prosecutor really also went after him about how he tended
to Christine's wounds. >> Um, you did not at that point in time use the towel, the blanket, the sheet,
or the other blanket to staunch the flow of blood from her neck. >> It wasn't until I was instructed to by
911 to to do that. Um, pressure is a different form of of treatment that we were taught and uh
that is also what Christine was doing. Um, I believe that that was the best course of action at the time
>> to put pressure on the wound that was so large that your finger went inside of
it. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. And when first responders arrived, you agree you're on video holding her
neck with your bare hand, correct? >> I think so. >> So, speaking of first responders, uh I I
know that the timing of the 911 calls was really sort of crucial to the prosecution's case. Juliana testified
that after Brendan shot Joe, Christine said Juliana called 911. At that point, Juliana says that she called 911 for the
first time, but then Brendan gestured to her to hang up. So, she hangs up really
quickly. This is kind of crucial. Um, but 911 had already made contact at that point. Um, she calls back several
minutes later after Brendan gave her the go-ahad to call 911. This is probably where the plot kind of falls apart. She
called 911 too early. Uh, this is important testimony because it directly contradicts what Brendan said at trial.
Brendan said he brought Juliana and Valerie and their dog to the basement while he moved upstairs to the master
bedroom to investigate. He believes Juliana made that first quick 911 call while she was downstairs in the basement
and he was upstairs. And the defense introduced an expert who testified. They identified the dogs whining in a portion
of that call. But he said he did tell Juliana to call 911 later after she came up to the bedroom. And this was after he
had shot Joe Ryan. >> And then we should remind everyone that Valerie, their young daughter, is in the
basement this entire time. >> It's It's really hard to think about. And the prosecutor asked if Brendan was
thinking of his daughter. Why didn't he tell Juliana to leave the house with Valerie or use the lock on the outside
of the basement door to make sure that they wouldn't be able to go upstairs? He claimed that at the moment he was just
focused on Christine and that Valerie from what he thought was safe in the basement.
>> Yeah. Why would you want your daughter to to hear any of this to possibly see
any of this? >> And the prosecutor did say this. You have a gun. you're going up. Obviously,
you're afraid for your safety in some sort of sense or or regard to all of this. And why would you not get your
child out of that situation? Why would you? And four-year-olds are curious. Look, I have a 2-year-old, a
six-year-old, and a 10-year-old. And let me tell you, kids are curious. They want
to know what's happening. If they hear something, they are going to the noises. They're going to figure out whatever is
happening. And I mean, at any point, she could have walked up those stairs. at any point.
>> It's absolutely it's absolutely terrifying. Um I mean, you've you've sat through you've sat through a number of
very interesting trials. We talked about what Brendan testified to, but how was he on the stand? I will tell you that it
was a little distracting because he would answer the defense, his defense attorney, and glance at him and then
kind of glance over to the right at the jury and then kind of look back. His, you know, his eyes were shifting all
over the place. Um, and it seemed like he was trying to keep, you know, his sense of thoughts going, but um, you
know, it was hard for him, I think, at times to be quite honest. And um and again, this is the first time we're
hearing of anything in full totality, so there's nothing to compare it to. And then my other question was about
Christine. Could you get a sense of who Christine was? I mean, she has a courtroom filled
with her supporters as well. Who was Christine? >> Christine, from everything I've been
able to learn, was a nurse. She was a mom, you know, a a dedicated mother. She was a friend. She was a daughter. She
was someone who seemed to enjoy life. And this is such a tragedy. And I think about Valerie. I think about this little
girl growing up without her mom. >> And it is, I mean, it is heartbreaking. And it's hard to think about what her
parents and all of her loved ones are going through. And now reliving this again really 3 years later.
>> Absolutely. They must they must be thinking how can this be our lives? How can this this be the story that our
family, you know, has to tell. >> Sad story. Really sad. Um Michelle, it's always great to have someone who's
following the the case, you know, from beginning to end, who's been in the courtroom. Um so yeah, I really
appreciate your time. >> Thank you so much.

Brendan Banfield has been found guilty of the murders of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan, inside the Banfield's northern Virginia home in 2023. 48 Hours correspondent Anne-Marie Green speaks with 48 Hours producer Michelle Sigona about Banfield's decision to take the stand after his former lover and family au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, detailed an elaborate catfishing scheme meant to lure Ryan to the Banfield home and make it look like he stabbed Christine. Banfield was also found guilty of child endangerment and use of a firearm.

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Brief Summary

Brendan Banfield was found guilty of murdering his wife and another man, with key testimony from nanny Juliana Perez Magalles.

Key points

Brendan Banfield Verdict. Brendan Banfield was found guilty of two counts of aggravated murder and child endangerment.
The Opair Affair. The case was dubbed the Opair affair due to Brendan's relationship with the nanny, Juliana.
Juliana's Testimony. Juliana testified against Brendan, claiming he planned the murder of his wife.
Brendan's Defense. Brendan's attorney claimed Juliana fabricated her testimony to secure a deal.
The 911 Call Controversy. Juliana's timing of the 911 call contradicts Brendan's account, raising doubts.
The Tragic Testimony. Brendan's testimony raises questions about his actions during a critical moment.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This is all about Brendan versus Juliana.

Discussion of the trial dynamics.

1:43WatchFeb 3, 2026

Tension

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