That profile attracted Joseph Ryan, a 39-year-old environmental enthusiast from Florida. Digital correspondence presented at trial showed Ryan and the bogus account exchanging messages about a knife-centric “rape fantasy” involving chains and rope. Prosecutors said the communication was part of a “catfishing” plot intended to provide Brendan Banfield with a way to eliminate his spouse while deflecting blame onto an outsider.
On the night of the slayings, Ryan arrived at the Banfield home, where, according to the prosecution, Brendan Banfield stabbed his wife repeatedly. The defendants later told emergency operators they had surprised a stranger attacking Christine Banfield and had each fired a single round at Ryan in self-defense. Ballistics analysis confirmed two gunshots; Magalhães admitted firing the second and fatal shot, leading to the original murder indictment against her.
Eight months after the killings, detectives charged Magalhães with Ryan’s second-degree murder. Facing the possibility of decades in prison, she agreed in October 2024 to plead guilty to manslaughter and provide extensive statements to law enforcement. Over nearly four hours of recorded interviews and subsequent sworn testimony, she corroborated the prosecution’s timeline and detailed the affair, the social-media deception, and the planning that preceded the attack.
Her cooperation proved pivotal in January 2026, when a Fairfax County jury deliberated for two days before finding Brendan Banfield guilty on all counts: two aggravated murders, child endangerment, and use of a firearm during a felony. The same jury determined that the former IRS agent, now 41, faces life imprisonment without parole, Virginia having abolished capital punishment in 2021. His sentencing is set for 8 May 2026.
During Friday’s hearing, Magalhães read a brief apology, stating that she had “caused pain that cannot be measured” and asking forgiveness from the Ryans and the Bensons—Christine Banfield’s maiden family name. She told the court she had “lost herself” in the relationship with Brendan Banfield but claimed to have reflected and changed during nearly three years in county custody.
Imagem: Internet
Victim impact statements came exclusively from Joseph Ryan’s relatives, because Magalhães was convicted only in his death. Speaking via videoconference from Florida, Ryan’s mother, Deirdre Fisher, described the lingering grief of keeping her Christmas tree illuminated year-round beside her son’s ashes, a tradition linked to his late-December birthday. In the courtroom, Ryan’s aunt Sangeeta Ryan recalled his love of animals, devotion to family, and habit of rescuing stray dogs. She acknowledged Magalhães’s eventual cooperation but argued the tragedy could have been avoided had the au pair refused to participate in the plot.
Judge Azcarate ruled that prepared statements from Christine Banfield’s relatives were inadmissible for this proceeding, reiterating that Magalhães bore criminal liability only for Ryan’s killing. The judge also noted that the plea deal’s sentencing recommendation was not binding on the court, emphasizing judicial discretion in cases involving loss of life.
Magalhães, who will receive credit for time served since her 2023 arrest, could be eligible for conditional release after fulfilling at least 85 percent of the 10-year term, pursuant to Virginia’s earned-sentence guidelines. Upon completion of her sentence, she must serve two additional years under supervised probation and will be subject to deportation proceedings because she is not a U.S. citizen.
The high-profile case has drawn national attention, in part because of its mix of social-media deception, an extramarital affair, and a fatal home invasion. A televised documentary, “The Au Pair, The Affair and Murder,” is scheduled to air on 20 February 2026 on the ABC program 20/20, with subsequent streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Crédito da imagem: Tom Brenner / Pool via AP
