48 Hours - Inside the Banfield Trial: Guilty Verdict

Episode Date: February 3, 2026

Brendan Banfield has been found guilty of the murder of his wife Christine Banfield and another man 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 Joseph 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. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, 48 hours listeners, quick programming note, our post-mortem for the sneak attack on Caitlin Lion drops tomorrow, but 48 hours plus subscribers can hear it right now. Today, we're bringing you a timely episode with our special coverage, taking you inside the Banfield trial verdict. Here is 48 hours correspondent, Anne-Marie Green. Everyone needs help with something. If investing is your something, we get it. Cooperators' financial representatives are here to help. help with genuine advice that puts your needs first. We got you. For all your holistic investment and life insurance advice needs, talk to us today. Cooperators, investing in your future together. Mutual funds are offered through Cooperators Financial Investment Services Inc. to Canadian

residents except those in Quebec in the territories. Segregated funds are administered by cooperators life insurance company. Life insurance is underwritten by cooperators life insurance company. Adobe Acrobat Studio your new foundation. Use PDF spaces to generate a presentation. Grab your docks, your permits, your moves, AI levels of your pitch, gets it in a groove. Choose a template with your timeless cool. Come on now, let's flex those two. Drive design, deliver, make it sing. AI builds the deck so you can build that thing.

Do that with acrobat. Learn more at adobe.com slash do that with acrobat. Just a trigger warning for you. Some of this reporting is disturbing. So please listen and watch with care. Welcome to a special episode of the 48 hours podcast inside the Banfield trial. I'm your host, 48 hours correspondent, Anne-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 24, 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 O'Pair affair because of Brendan's relationship with the Banfields Live in Nanny from Brazil, Juliana Perez Magalise. 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 Sagona. 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. So there was a lot of evidence in this case. A lot of digital evidence, a lot of physical evidence, 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 Sands' final argument about what happened. Brendan Banfield and Juliana Perez Magales 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 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. Can you remind our listeners, though, of this kind of elaborate, alleged plot? Absolutely. The bandfields hired Juliana to care for their daughter, Valerie. This was in 2021.

Juliana was in her early 20s at the time, and as part of the O'Pair 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 prosecutor, 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 of prosecution, was about this catfishing component of it, right? Because part of the argument was, well, it was Christine online making all 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 FetLife. Also, 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. I say to my surprise because often defendants and murder trials don't, but 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 died inside of his own bedroom. And you hear portions from him in a 911 call or maybe, you know, 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 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.

Christine was his partner for 19 years, 12 of those years, they were actually married. And right now you can hear from his lawyer, John Carroll. 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? She was aware of at least two previous affairs. Okay. And likewise, were you aware of her affairs? Yes, I was also aware 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, his claims, and that she was a sexual assault nurse examiner, setting her up that if she had some sort of possible history and 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 Sands 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's that about? And the prosecutor challenged him. You better believe that.

that cross-examination. Did you love her? There was points that I told her that I loved her. You told her that you loved her, but you didn't actually love her. I would say 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. Mm. So in regards to this alleged plot, Brendan's attorney just flat out asked him if he created a plan with Giuliana

to kill his wife, Christine. Here's his response. No, there was no plan. At this point, our relationship is maybe six to eight weeks old. I think that it's an absurd line of questioning for something that is not serious, that a plan was made to get rid of my wife. That is absolutely crazy. So six to eight weeks, first off, I did not know it was just six to eight weeks, but 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 six 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. It's sort of the normal stuff. Yeah. That's right. Exactly. And I was also struck by Brendan's description of Giuliana 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 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 having her come to the range, was there any plan that she was going to back you up on some plan? I mean, there was no plan at this point when we had gone to the range. There was no, none of the suspect email account.

There was no FetLife account. There was no telegram messages. None of that existed at the point that we went to the range. Okay. Now, did FetLife or Gmail or Telegram ever exist for you? I did not know about them until I did not know about them until after Christine died. I didn't get to see them until after Giuliana's arrest. So there's no plan at this point? It's a weird way to say it. It is weird. So if Brendan 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 spend time with Christine, and she ended their relationship in the days leading up to this deadly incident. That is really fascinating.

So the last time we spoke, we played some sound from the prosecutor, and the prosecutor really laid out 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 Giuliana had arranged this fake outing at the zoo for his daughter Valerie. Juliana would be the one supposedly taking her there. And around 6 a.m., Brendan allegedly message Joe Ryan posing as Christine to confirm 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 would arrange 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. 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 at have been as manager. 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. He was not interviewed by police on the week that the investigators were out at his office interviewing co-workers.

I think he may have been away or out of town. 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 what we're not. when this coworker who was the supervisor at the time came forward and wanted to let everyone know that he did not have a meeting that morning, and he was in Maryland. Okay, so let's talk about the leaving of the house because Juliana testified. 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. And all three of them, Brendan, Juliana, and Valerie returned 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 apparently ate his food, then went inside. When he got a panicked call from Giuliana, he tried calling Christine, but it went straight to voice-making. Now, Brendan said when he came home, he went, he took a direct route home. When he got there, 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 Ron. 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.

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 de-escalate 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 by this time, Brendan says he noticed Juliana in the room. He claims he asks, 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 she was sorry and that she loved me. And what did you tell her? It was at this point that there was another shot. And I looked up and I saw that Juliana had my other firearm and 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 Sands did not hold back, Emery. 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. 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,

one, two, three, 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 see. Also, I'm aiming down my sight at Joe, and so I'm not focused exactly on Christine. You have a narrowed view when you're aiming down a firearm. And you just couldn't pull the trigger, could you?

I was afraid. Okay. And you already trained law enforcement officer, correct? I am, but I have... My shooting record is on the lower end for the qualification. He repeated that he was worried about hitting Christine by mistake. 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. And the prosecutor really also went after him about how he tended to Christine's wounds. 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 do that. pressure is a different form of treatment that we were taught. And that is also what Christine was doing. 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 now. with your bare hand, correct? I think so. So speaking of first responders,

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.

But 911 had already made contact at that point. She calls back several minutes later after Brendan gave her the go-ahead to call 911. This is probably where the plot kind of falls apart. She called 911 too early. 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 base. 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 dog's 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 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 room. basement. Yeah. Why would you want your daughter 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 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 two-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 happened. If they hear something, they're 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. I mean, 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 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 eyes were shifting all over the place.

And it seemed like he was trying to keep, you know, his sense of thoughts going. But, you know, it was hard for him, I think, at times, to be quite honest. 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 three years later.

Absolutely. They must, they must be thinking, How can this be our lives? How can this be the story that our family, you know, has to tell? Sad story. Really sad. Michelle, it's always great to have someone who's following the case, you know, from beginning to end, who's been in the courtroom. So, yeah, I really appreciate your time. Thank you so much.