Virginia Wife Killing
Brendan Banfield testifies during his double murder trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Fairfax, Va.
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A Brazilian au pair got the maximum 10-year sentence after confessing to scheming with her lover to kill his wife and another man. Juliana Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the February 2023 killing of Joseph Ryan. She testified that she fired the shot that killed Ryan as Brendan Banfield was fatally stabbing his wife Christine. Brendan Banfield will likely remain behind bars for life after a jury found him guilty in both killings. Prosecutors recommended her immediate release in exchange for her cooperation, but the judge rejected that deal, sentencing her to the maximum for the downgraded charge.
