WASHINGTON, DC – A federal agent is standing trial for allegedly conspiring with his family’s nanny to murder his wife in a twisted plot that prosecutors say involved a fake profile on an adult fetish website.
Brendan Banfield, a special agent with the IRS, is accused of orchestrating the death of his 37-year-old wife, Christine Banfield. The case has taken a dramatic turn after the nanny agreed to testify against him in exchange for a plea deal.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes, a Brazilian au pair who worked for the family, accepted a manslaughter plea and will be deported to Brazil after providing testimony. She’s expected to be a key witness for the prosecution.
Banfield has maintained that an intruder broke into their home and stabbed his wife. According to his account, he shot the intruder with his service revolver, then had Magalhaes retrieve his personal handgun from a bathroom safe to shoot the wounded man again. The alleged intruder, identified as Joseph Ryan, died from a gunshot wound to the heart.
But prosecutors tell a very different story. They believe someone created a fake profile on an adult fetish website impersonating Christine as part of a scheme to lure Ryan to the home and set him up as a fall guy.
Investigators found evidence suggesting Banfield and Magalhaes had been carrying on a relationship. Photographs showed the pair together in the master bedroom, and Magalhaes’s clothing was discovered stored in Banfield’s closet. The nanny had apparently moved into the bedroom within weeks of Christine’s death.
The prosecution argues the elaborate setup was designed to eliminate Christine so Banfield could be with Magalhaes without the complications of divorce.
Banfield faces life in prison if convicted. The trial is expected to last several weeks.
