Attorneys give dueling narratives to open 'au pair affair' double murder trial in Virginia

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FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man who was having an affair with his family's Brazilian au pair used an elaborate scheme to lure an unsuspecting man to the house as part of a plan to kill his wife, prosecutors said in opening statements on Tuesday.

Brendan Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the February 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and the second man, Joseph Ryan, at the Banfields’ home in northern Virginia. He has pleaded not guilty and could face life in prison if convicted.

Juliana Peres Magalhães testified on Tuesday that she began a sexual relationship with Brendan Banfield after working in their home as an au pair for about a year. Banfield told her he wanted to marry her and have children with her, but he needed to “get rid of” his wife first, she testified. He didn't want to divorce his wife because “she would have more money than he would” and because he wanted custody of the couple's 4-year-old daughter.

Banfield came up with a plan to create a fake profile for his wife on a sexual fetish site, Magalhães said. Magalhães and Brendan would both post to the site from Christine Banfield's laptop, and they were careful to post only when Christine Banfield was home, Magalhães said. They also posted at times when only one of them was in the house with Christine Banfield to obscure their involvement, she said.

“He knew that we needed to have some alibis,” she testified.

In opening statements, Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Jenna Sands told jurors that Banfield and Magalhães spent a month arranging an elaborate scenario with Ryan in which Ryan would act out an arranged rape fantasy.

They arranged for Ryan to come in the morning while Christine Banfield was sleeping and bring restraints and a knife, Sands said. Magalhães and Brendan Banfield left the house but stayed nearby. Magalhães entered after Ryan and called Brendan Banfield. She also called 911 but hung up, Sands said. She only called 911 again after both she and Brendan Banfield had shot Ryan and Banfield had stabbed his wife multiple times, Sands said.

Magalhães was also charged with murder but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in 2024 after cooperating with investigators. She will be sentenced at the conclusion of Banfield’s trial.

Banfield's attorney, John Carroll, said in opening statements that Magalhães had maintained her innocence for a year but eventually changed her story in exchange for a sweetheart deal.

“The whole reason she was arrested was to flip her against my client,” Carroll said.

The prosecution's theory relies on the idea that Banfield and Magalhães were “catfishing” Ryan by pretending to be Christine Banfield. However, the lead homicide detective and the forensic detective both disagreed with that theory, Carroll said. Both were later transferred. Carroll said there was “turmoil” inside the police department over that case that some media have dubbed the “au pair affair."

“You’re going to see a presentation of a horrible, tragic, awful event,” Carroll said. He said there is no dispute that Banfield and Magalhães were having an affair; however, “there’s an awful lot more to look for.”

Banfield, whose daughter was at the house on the morning of the killings, is also charged with child abuse and felony child cruelty in connection with the case. He will also face those charges during the aggravated murder trial.

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Associated Press reporter Travis Loller contributed from Nashville, Tennessee.