The Au Pair Affair: Brendan Banfield sentenced to life | "Case by Case" | "48 Hours" Podcast | Forensic Files

One would hope that someday you will become tortured by what you have done to Christine, Joe, Christine's daughter,
and their families. But nothing I have seen suggests that you will. The level of cruelty, calculation, and
inhumanity in this case reflects something far deeper than anger or impulse. It reflects evil.
Which is why I carry no burden and find no hesitation in sentencing you to life.
>> That was Fairfax County Circuit Judge Penny S. Saracatsannis announcing the sentence for former IRS special agent
Brandon Banfield. Life in prison without the possibility of parole. Now, Banfield
was found guilty of murdering his wife, Christine, and another man, Joseph Ryan,
inside the Banfield's Northern Virginia home in 2023. The case had been dubbed the au pair
affair because of Brandon's relationship with the Banfield's Brazilian live-in nanny, Juliana Peres Magalhaes. Now,
Juliana pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for also shooting Joseph Ryan and cooperated with the government
testifying against Brandon. In February, uh Magalhaes was sentenced to 10 years behind bars, and on Friday,
June 5th, the victims' family members spoke up to honor their loved ones and seek justice.
>> Somehow I found myself reliving something I had never experienced as if I had been there.
I envisioned Christine's fear, felt her terror, and wished I was there to take her place.
I no longer had a sister. I was no longer a sister. The absence of Joe is not abstract. It
is constant, visible, and devastating. >> Welcome to Case by Case. I'm 48 Hours correspondent Anne Marie Green, and I'm
joined by producer Michelle Segona, who has followed every twist and turn of this story. Today, we're going to
discuss its dramatic conclusion, including Brendan Banfield's decision to speak in court. Hello, Michelle.
>> Hey, Emery. It's great to see you. You know, it's been more than 3 years for these victims' families. And during
sentencing, I always think about how difficult this is for them, but also how strong they have to be to be able to be
that voice for their loved ones. >> I want you to sort of walk us through some of the key moments from the
sentencing, but can you also remind folks of just how we got here? >> During his January trial, the
Commonwealth argued Brendan and Juliana plotted to kill Christine Banfield by luring Joseph Ryan to the house.
The goal in all of this was to make it look like Joe was the one who stabbed Christine to death. Brendan and Juliana
created online accounts impersonating Christine, including on a fetish site, and ultimately convinced Joe Ryan to
come to the Banfield house with a knife under the pretense of a rough sexual encounter.
Brendan entered the bedroom to save his wife and shot Joe in self-defense. >> And key to the Commonwealth's case was
the Banfield's au pair, Juliana. >> Did he tell you what he wanted to do? >> Yes.
>> What did he say? >> He mentioned that his plan to get rid of her. >> So, she said he mentioned his plan to
get rid of her. >> And this was really a case of he said, she said. Juliana came to the United
States from Brazil as an au pair in 2021. And started a relationship with Brendan in 2022. And she testified that
Brendan wanted out of his marriage, but felt a divorce was not an option. So, he wanted full custody of his
daughter. And Juliana said money was also a concern in all of this. And remember, Juliana and Brendan lived
together in the house. In the bedroom, Anne Marie, that he used to share with Christine after the Kelleys. That is,
until Juliana was arrested months later followed by Brendan's arrest. Right, so let us go back over sort of the details
of this murder plan because it sort of convoluted. It is convoluted. It's there's so many details and so many
twists and turns it's hard to wrap your brain around a lot of it. According to the prosecution and Juliana, Joe was
told to come to the house. This was on February 24th, 2023. And it was in the early morning and Christine was still in
the bedroom. Brendan then left the house under the pretense of going to work, but
he was really at a McDonald's. Now, Juliana had also departed with the Banfield's young daughter for a supposed
trip to the zoo. The door was left unlocked when they left the house ready for Joe's arrival.
Now, Juliana said she parked near the house and tipped Brendan off as to when Joe went inside the house. Now, Brendan,
Juliana and Valerie, all three of them returned to the house and they went around back and they entered through the
basement. Valerie and Juliana stayed downstairs. Now, this was as Brendan headed upstairs
to the bedroom, but then Juliana followed Brendan. Juliana testified that when she got to the room, Christine was
still alive. Yelling at Brendan that Joe had a knife and that's when Juliana said Brendan
shot Joe. So, you know, Christine obviously is unaware of any of this. She thinks that
a man has entered her bedroom, a knife-wielding man has entered her bedroom. Joe thinks that he is coming
for some sort of consensual rendezvous. So, they they are both sort of confused about what's happening. At this point,
Christine has not been stabbed yet. She was yelling because there's a strange man in her room and he's got a knife.
>> And according to Juliana, Christine was terrified and told her to call 911. Now, she did
make the call, but then claimed that Brendan did some sort of signal for her to hang up. So, she hung up right away.
That was the first 911 call. She stepped away and then returned to see Brendan stabbing Christine.
Juliana said that she also saw Joe moving and warned Brendan and then shot Joe. Now, she said Brendan had given her
a gun earlier that day. >> And then she called 911 for real. >> 911, what's your emergency?
>> I need I need help. Brendan is uh My my friend and she just was stabbing my friend now. She's putting him up. I
don't know what to do anymore. >> So, law enforcement arrived soon after, but Brendan was not arrested. That
didn't actually come until a year and a half later. In fact, Juliana was the first one arrested and jailed.
>> And she stood by Brendan, but then ultimately cooperated with the Commonwealth and pleaded guilty to
manslaughter. And then Brendan was arrested and indicted. >> A- And correct me if I'm wrong,
Michelle, but she was getting help from Brendan's mom. Like they were putting money on her books and that sort of
thing while she was in jail. And she she was standing by him for for a bit. >> She did stand by him for a while. His
family was helping her out, especially in the beginning. This was until she decided to be the Commonwealth star
witness. >> So, Brendan and his defense, they continue to deny this whole catfishing
scheme. This was always self-defense after an intruder entered the home and then attacked Christine.
>> Even when he spoke at sentencing, Amarie, Brendan said that there was no indication that he or Juliana had access
to Christine's devices to create fake accounts. He said there was no evidence that he even stabbed Christine.
>> There is no dispute that Joe Ryan brought the knife to my home. My DNA and fingerprints are not on the
knife. Joe Ryan's DNA is on the knife right at the junction of the handle and the blade.
The DNA is right where you would expect it to be for someone who is forcefully using the knife.
>> And then during the trial, the defense had pointed out that Juliana had changed
her stories, uh suggesting that she only worked with the government after Brandon
was arrested and she sort of lost hope. >> Look, the jury didn't buy it during the
trial and the judge didn't buy it at sentencing. And just a reminder that in addition to two counts of aggravated
murder, Brandon Banfield was also found guilty of one count of use of a firearm and one count of child endangerment.
>> Right. And Michelle, we should talk a little bit about the child endangerment
charge. Uh in in an earlier 48 Hours podcast episode, uh we talked a little bit about this. It's because that while
the killings were taking place, the Banfield's daughter was in the house downstairs in the basement.
>> She was. It's disturbing that this happened with a 4-year-old child inside of that Virginia
home where her mother was being set up and ultimately murdered. >> Yeah, you can only imagine what what she
heard. So, we had the guilty verdict and then the sentencing now. Um I should note
that the day before the sentencing, Banfield's defense attorney tried to get the murder verdict thrown out, uh but
the judge dismissed his motion. As for the sentencing itself, it was an opportunity for family members now to
really tell the judge more about their loved ones, more about what they have lost.
>> That testimony at trial was a very much about the evidence, troubles in the marriage, but not a lot of detail about
who Christine and Joe were as people. So, let's start by hearing from Christine's older sister, Danielle
Hawker. >> The memories we shared growing up held helped shape my sense of love, family,
and who I am. They felt simple and whole, filled with laughter, safety, and love.
Since moving losing her, those same memories have changed. They are no longer just joyful, but layered with
grief. Each one a reminder of both how much I had and how much was taken. >> It was especially emotional when
Danielle would reflect on their time as children and all of these memories that they shared together as little kids all
the way up until adults. Uh Christine's obsession with the Backstreet Boys, watching Full House on TV, having a
crush on Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall. We also learned more about Christine's life as a nurse and how she
wanted to help others. >> Yeah, I mean, even Brandon talks about that. We'll get to that later, but I
mean, she was so dedicated particularly through the pandemic when it was very grueling work. She also obviously had
some very strong words for her brother-in-law, Brandon, particularly in regards to his allegations that his
wife, Christine, had also been unfaithful. >> His lies did not just attempt to destroy
her reputation, they forced me to relive my grief with anger and helplessness I cannot fully describe.
He was the one that had countless affairs, several attempts at finding the right
mistress that would eventually help carry out the plan with him because the absurd line of questioning about a plan
didn't just develop when he started his affair, Juliana. I believe she meant no more to him than
anyone else in his life. She was just another person to control and exploit. What he presented as affection was
manipulation. What may have appeared as love was nothing more than strategy. If there had been any genuine intent to
build a life with Juliana, he could have chosen a lawful and honest path. He could have divorced and moved on.
The divorce would have required relinquishing control, and control was always the priority. His actions were
not driven by love, but a desire for power, deception, and a complete disregard for
the lives he destroyed. >> And Danielle also brought up her young niece in all of this and how one day she
would have to hear about how her father talked about her mother. Um but Danielle really assured the court
that her and her family would make sure that this child would hear stories about
her mom um and hear them with light and joy and love. >> Mhm. And then we also heard about Joe
Ryan because sort of, you know, during the trial, we only really know him as the man from FetLife uh fetish app,
right? Who falls victim to this murder plot. For Brendan, he is nothing but a pawn. It could have been Joe Ryan, it
could have been anyone else who who kind of showed up. And so hearing from his mother and his aunt, it really humanized
him. >> It did. His mother, Deidre Fisher, she wasn't able to be in the courtroom, but
she did speak via video conference. And she was emotional. She really was um when talking about how hard it was to
see her son in the public eye initially being accused of killing Christine. She said she has a lot of medical issues
right now, which are linked to the trauma of her son's murder. >> Brendan Banfield, his defense team,
even some of the press, carelessly carelessly characterized Joe as the intruder.
The fetish guy into rough sex. The rapist and the murderer. Or simply the other forgettable guy.
Not even showing Joe's face during the murder trial. Joe was chosen because Brendan Banfield
thought he would make a good dupe to be framed for the planned murder of his wife.
As with so many other things, Brendan was wrong. In some ways, my son was flawed, regular
Joe. But it also had some amazing qualities. >> She described Joe as caring, someone who looked after his
grandparents. She said he was the person who would fight for the underdog. He had
a lot of love for gardening. He loved animals, and she also described him as a feminist.
>> I mean, Michelle, here's the thing, right? Whatever he was sort of involved in, this is supposed to be consenting
adults. There's nothing wrong with this sort of behavior, and it's also just one
aspect of a person's life. You know, clearly he was much more than that. >> I just I wish that these positive things
about Christine and Joe would be the first first things that come up on the first page of a, you know, of the search
engine as opposed to to all of this negativity. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> [music] >> And then Brendan Banfield spoke.
>> Yeah, I wasn't sure what he was going to say. I wondered whether or not he would
apologize or take it sort of any ownership at all. Certainly, he testified during the trial, but this was
a moment for him to speak beyond that. I'm I'm curious, you know, your reaction to what he had to say.
>> I would like to say I was surprised or shocked that he didn't take responsibility. Um but I think what we
heard at the trial and what we heard at the sentencing really go hand in hand. He had trouble getting out some of his
sentences. He was reading very fast. At one point he even stopped and paused for
a long period. Um he continued to blame law enforcement uh who he believes put the catfishing story ahead of the
evidence in his case. And I was struck at how he described Christine as a wife and a mother and we want to play you a
little bit of that. >> You know, Christine was a wonderful and loving person. Just as you heard from many of the
people here, she was a a loving and and compassionate nurse. During COVID, she volunteered to take
care of to take care of many of the people that were sick and struggling. She signed up for extra shifts. She
signed up for vaccination clinics. She cared for her daughter. She went She enrolled her in dance lessons. She was
there for for recitals. I loved her very much. Despite what you may think of my affairs, our marriage worked for us. It
wasn't something It wasn't something that I looked to end. There was no It was told to other women
that I was never going to leave Christine. That was always That was always how it
was said. >> And so interesting what he said about his marriage. He said he didn't want to
diminish Christine's life, but insisted he wasn't responsible for her death. He didn't display
any type of remorse during the sentencing hearing. A lot of defensiveness and again, Brendan
Banfield took zero responsibility. So, although he was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, he could only be
sentenced to one because of Virginia law. The judge said that in her 18 years on the bench, she had sentenced hundreds
of defendants and most of those individuals were not inherently bad. Uh she described them rather, you know,
people who maybe made mistakes. But she said that there were two instances of individuals who showed no remorse
and that it was apparent that Brendan was, and this is a quote, the same kind of evil. I want to play some of what the
judge had to say. It's long, but I definitely think it's worth hearing it full. >> The disregard of the life of your wife,
someone you supposedly loved, is almost unfathomable. Scheming for months a master plan
involving so many moving parts deception and manipulation manipulation luring a completely innocent man into
your deadly trap continuing on after the murders without a care and not once not once thinking of the impact on
Christine's daughter, the unspoken tragic victim of your behavior. You did not just take her mother from
her. You placed her in the middle of the horror you created. She is young now, but one day she will
understand your true self. And she will understand what you took from her, which is everything.
The loss of her mother who will never be a part of her life as she grows the loss of her family and the security
she lived under. All of this is lost based on your calculated and selfish behavior.
It is impossible to comprehend what Joseph Ryan experienced, seeing you enter the court enter the room
being shot in the head, blinded hearing you instruct the co-defendant to shoot him again.
And Christine, to imagine her final thoughts as she initially thought you were there to save her from what she
thought was a brutal attack. And then to see you over her stabbing her again and again with a knife in her
neck. Her final realization that this was all your doing. And in her final moments thinking of her
daughter. >> I have thought a lot about what Christine was thinking during those
final moments before she died. Um the thought of her not being able to hug and protect her child. I thought about
Joseph Ryan, how scared and confused he and Christine must have been in those moments. And when the judge concluded
this hearing with these strong words, she said it perfectly. That this was a trap. This was a deadly trap. And the
repercussions for so many are extreme. >> So Michelle Rondon Banfield is expected
to serve life in prison. >> If there's going to be an appeal, he needs to sort of
file an appeal within 30 days of the final order of the case. He will have a new attorney. As of now, it's a
court-appointed attorney. He wasn't sure if he was going to use the court-appointed attorney or if he was
going to hire his own. The judge appointed him an attorney because the expectation was there would be an
appeal. You know, you've been there for all the twists and turns of this case. Any final thoughts?
>> You know, the final piece to this long puzzle is in place at the moment, right?
But this isn't completely over. Now, if Banfield appeals, it depends on what happens during that process of what the
next steps for this case could be. Um I hope that the families here, both sides,
have some sort of comfort knowing that the two people found responsible, one defendant from a plea, another one from
a jury, that they are behind bars in [music] the here and now. >> Yes, they are. Um
Michelle Sigona, thank you so much cuz this was a complicated case and you've helped to guide us through the whole
thing. [music] Um and thanks for joining Case by Case. Thank you so much. And thanks to all of
you for listening. Be sure to rate and review wherever you get your podcast. >> [music]

On Friday, June 5, 2026, Brendan Banfield was sentenced to life in prison without parole for orchestrating an elaborate plot to murder his wife, Christine Banfield, while carrying on an affair with the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães. The scheme involved luring an unsuspecting man, Joseph Ryan, to the Banfield home and attempting to frame him for the crime. "48 Hours" correspondent Anne-Marie Green and "48 Hours" producer Michelle Sigona share the most passionate moments from victim impact statements. You’ll also hear from Banfield in court as he maintained his innocence

The cases everyone's talking about, explained as they happen. "Case by Case" is a weekly update on the biggest criminal stories unfolding now. New episodes every Friday, available wherever you watch or listen to podcasts. You can also get ad-free access to 48 Hours podcasts by subscribing to 48 Hours+ at 48HoursPodcasts.com.

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Brief Summary

Brandon Banfield was sentenced to life for murdering his wife and another man in a complex plot involving an au pair.

Key points

Judge Sentences Brandon Banfield. Judge Penny S. Saracatsannis sentences Brandon Banfield to life in prison without parole for the murders of his wife and another man.
Brandon Banfield's Defense. Brandon Banfield continues to deny involvement in the murders, claiming self-defense.
Victims' Families Honor Loved Ones. Family members of Christine and Joe speak in court, sharing their grief and memories.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

The absence of Joe is not abstract. It is constant, visible, and devastating.

A family member reflecting on the loss of Joe.

1:37WatchJun 12, 2026

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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