A Virginia man convicted of murdering his wife and another man in an elaborate scheme involving the family’s au pair has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Brendan Banfield, a former Internal Revenue Service law enforcement officer, received the mandatory life sentence Friday after being convicted in the killings of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan, a man prosecutors said was lured to the couple’s home and used as a fall guy.
The case drew national attention because of its unusual and disturbing facts: an affair between Banfield and the family’s Brazilian au pair, a staged encounter arranged through a fetish website, and prosecutors’ claim that an innocent man was brought to the home so he could be blamed for Christine Banfield’s death.
Judge Penney Azcarate described Banfield’s conduct as calculated and evil during sentencing. She said the crime showed a shocking disregard for the life of his wife and for the impact on the couple’s young daughter, who was inside the home when the killings happened.
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Prosecutors said Banfield and Juliana Peres Magalhães, the family’s au pair, planned the murders so Banfield could get rid of his wife and continue his relationship with Magalhães. According to AP, Magalhães testified that Banfield lured Ryan to the home using a fake online profile and that the scene was staged to make it appear Ryan had attacked Christine.
Banfield maintained his innocence at sentencing. He said he loved his wife and claimed he never planned to leave her, despite acknowledging that he had affairs. His defense had argued that he shot Ryan after finding him attacking Christine.
The jury rejected that account. Banfield was convicted in February of aggravated murder, child endangerment and firearm-related charges. The child endangerment conviction stemmed from the fact that the Banfields’ daughter, then four years old, was home during the killings. The judge added five years for child endangerment and three more years on a firearms charge.
The murders happened on Feb. 24, 2023, at the Banfield home in Herndon, Virginia. Authorities said Christine Banfield, a pediatric intensive care nurse, was fatally stabbed, while Joseph Ryan was shot. Prosecutors argued that Ryan had no real connection to the family and was manipulated into coming to the house.
Magalhães later pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Ryan’s death and testified against Banfield. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison after her plea, according to AP.
The sentencing hearing also included emotional victim impact statements from relatives of both victims.
Christine Banfield’s sister, Danielle Hocker, described her as kind, reliable and selfless. She recalled their childhood together and said her sister’s death left a silence that words could not fill.
Ryan’s mother, Deidre Fisher, remembered her son as caring and compassionate. She said he looked out for vulnerable people and even adopted older, unwanted dogs from shelters because he believed they deserved love.
The judge said Banfield’s lack of remorse weighed heavily in her decision, though life without parole was mandatory for the aggravated murder conviction. She said the plot showed not only cruelty toward Christine and Ryan, but also a devastating disregard for the Banfields’ daughter.
The case has been described by some media outlets as the “au pair affair” murder case because of Magalhães’ role and her relationship with Banfield. But prosecutors and family members emphasized that the focus should remain on the two people killed: Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan.
Banfield’s sentencing brings the criminal case against him to a close, though the emotional fallout for the families is far from over.
Why It Matters
The case matters because it involved a highly calculated murder plot that prosecutors said was designed to kill a wife, frame an innocent man and protect a secret relationship.
It also matters because a child was inside the home when the killings occurred, adding another layer of trauma to an already devastating case.
What Comes Next
Banfield is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison without parole. Any appeal would likely focus on trial issues, evidence or legal arguments raised during the case.
Magalhães has already received a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to manslaughter and testifying for prosecutors.
NEW: Judge tells a man his crimes “5 short years ago would have carried a sentence of death,” as he’s sentenced to life without parole for killing his wife and a stranger so he could be with his 25-year-old au pair.
Brendan Banfield, 40, stabbed his wife, Christine Banfield, and… pic.twitter.com/OQp5PMHZ8U
— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) June 5, 2026
