Man charged with stabbing his wife and murdering his lover in Virginia

A grand jury has indicted Brendan Banfield, 39, for the stabbing death of his wife and the killing of another man in their bedroom, 19 months after the incident, according to the Fairfax County District Attorney's Office in Virginia.

Banfield is alleged to have stabbed his wife Christine Banfield (37) and shot 38-year-old Joseph Ryan in February 2023. The charges follow the indictment of the 24-year-old au pair who lived with the family a few months earlier.

Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis confirmed in a press conference on Monday that Brendan Banfield and au pair Juliana Magalhaes were in a romantic relationship at the time of the murders.

Brendan Banfield, 39, of Reston, is charged with four counts of murder in connection with last year's “au pair double murder” in Fairfax County, VA. Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan were found dead in the Stable Brook Way home on February 25. pic.twitter.com/TxKrTNT8ps

— DMV News Live (@DCNewsLive) 17 September 2024

Banfield is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a crime. He is accused of first-degree murder of both victims. If found guilty, Banfield could receive a sentence of life in prison without parole. The use of a firearm charge carries a minimum sentence of three years. He is currently being held without bail.

Fairfax County Prosecutor Steve Descano praised the investigative efforts of Fairfax County police, which uncovered new information that led to the charges. However, investigators did not disclose what new evidence led to the arrest.

The Banfields were living with their four-year-old daughter at the time of the murders. Police responded to a 911 call on February 24, 2023, and found Ryan dead in an upstairs bedroom suffering from gunshot wounds. Christine Banfield, who had been stabbed, was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

During the initial investigation, two firearms and a knife were recovered from the house. On Monday, another search warrant was executed on Banfield's apartment. Magalhaes remains in custody, with her trial scheduled for November. She and Banfield are both being held in the same adult prison.