VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – A federal IRS agent was found guilty Monday on all charges in connection with the murders of his wife and another man, ending a case prosecutors described as one of the most elaborately planned killings in recent Virginia history.
Brendan Banfield was convicted of two counts of aggravated murder, firearm use during a felony, and child endangerment. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sentencing is scheduled for May 8, 2026.
Prosecutors told jurors that Banfield and his Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, spent more than a month orchestrating the February 2023 double murder. The pair created a fake profile on the adult website FetLife using Banfield’s wife Christine’s email address to lure a stranger, Joseph Ryan, to the couple’s home under false pretenses.
According to trial testimony, Banfield left doors unlocked and his wife’s phone accessible to facilitate the scheme. On the morning of the murders, Peres Magalhaes took the couple’s 4-year-old daughter to the National Zoo while Banfield remained at the residence.
When Ryan arrived at the home, Banfield shot him dead. He then repeatedly stabbed his wife Christine, killing her as well. Investigators said the plan was designed to make the killings appear as though a stranger had broken in and attacked Christine.
Peres Magalhaes, who had been in a romantic relationship with Banfield, eventually cooperated with prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and testified against Banfield during the trial, providing detailed accounts of how the plot was conceived and carried out.
The jury deliberated before returning guilty verdicts on all counts. Banfield showed little reaction as the verdicts were read.
Defense attorneys are expected to file post-trial motions ahead of the May sentencing hearing.
