Opening statements set in trial of Brendan Banfield over alleged double murder

Opening statements are set to start Tuesday in the trial of Brendan Banfield, who is accused of murdering his wife and another man in northern Virginia, Independent.co reports. Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the February 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan at the Banfields’ home; he has pleaded not guilty and faces life imprisonment.

Prosecutors say Banfield and Juliana Peres Magalhães lured Ryan to the house and staged the scene to look like they had shot an intruder. The two initially told investigators they shot Ryan after finding a stranger stabbing Christine Banfield; they had begun a romantic relationship about a year earlier.

Both were initially arrested, and in 2024 Magalhães pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter after cooperating with investigators. Magalhães told investigators she and Banfield created an account in his wife’s name on a social media platform for people interested in sexual fetishes and that Ryan connected with the account to meet on the morning of Feb.

Key Topics

World, Brendan Banfield, Juliana Peres Magalhães, Christine Banfield, Joseph Ryan, Fairfax County Police