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Christina Corbin
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Deborah Roberts
Hi, Everybody. Welcome to 2020 the After Show. I'm Deborah Roberts and I'm happy that you joined us again today. If you saw last week's show, I know you probably haven't forgotten it, and if you didn't, you, you're gonna hear all the details and we're gonna share some extra details, too. It is the story, kind of a twisted story of sex and secrets and a double murder that just rocked an affluent community in Fairfax County, Virginia. The story of an au pair from Brazil by the name of Juliana Perez Magules, who fell for Brendan Banfield, who's the father of the child that she was hired to care for. Now she fell for this man. But then things kind of took a dark turn when he decided that he wanted to that relationship and he wanted to get rid of his wife. So they orchestrated this elaborate catfish scheme so that they could be together. But guess what? They didn't wind up together. Not happily ever after. The story doesn't stop there, though. What happened inside the courtroom is something that shocked Everybody. And our 2020 team was right there watching it all unfold. And today we're going to share some of the exclusive details from not only inside this investigation, but also interviews. I covered this story and I had an interview with one of Brendan's former mistresses. Our team talked with so many around this story. It's called the Au Pair, the Affair and Murder. With me today is 2020 editorial producer Christina Corbin and Gail Deutch, a producer on this story who I worked with on so many things. Christina, you do a lot of bookings and this case, you know, kind of grab the headlines, I guess, in 2023. Sex and and sort of a fetish website and catfishing and all of that. What did you think when you first read about this story?
Christina Corbin
Yeah, people were really interested in this case, I think because Christine and Brendan Banfield are so relatable to so many people. On the outside, they looked like this really happy couple. They worked really hard at their jobs, he for the irs, she as a pediatric ICU nurse, to be able to afford this beautiful home outside Washington, D.C. and then you have this really sort of sordid plot involving a sex fetish website, an affair with the couples live in au pair. And there was just so much going on. It's probably one of the most complicated, complex plots I think I've ever dealt with in a true crime story.
Deborah Roberts
And you can't get more Americana than that. Right. He works for the government. She's this devoted pediatric ICU nurse. It just was, like, mind boggling when you think about it. Gail, you. You were on it early on too, and you kind of watched it evolve. We waited. I mean, I started shooting almost a couple of years ago with you, and we had to watch this thing evolve.
Gail Deutsch
Yeah, production wise, it was a little bit of a challenge because it was years before the trial. OCC and Christina, luckily, was gathering bookings along the way. So we were doing interviews and then working on other stories. And what's also interesting is a lot of the critical details we didn't even get to see until the trial. Like, for instance, There was a 911 call that we knew about with Brendan and Juliana on it that we didn't get to hear until just very recently.
Deborah Roberts
And you and I talked about how everybody was speculating about what really happened in that house because you've got Christine who was killed, and then you've got this stranger who was killed. So we began peeling back the layers, trying to meet family and friends of the couple. I remember sitting down with Brian Jarrett, a friend of Brendan's, who, you know, described their lives, and they met on a gaming website. And so Brendan was very much into gaming, but they only knew each other online. But yet Brendan's personality came out online and he was this guy who was like, take charge, but seemed to kind of have the world figured out. Brian thought.
Gail Deutsch
Yeah, I mean, they developed into a real relationship where Brian became friends also with Christine. They were both nurses, actually, so that was a common thing.
Deborah Roberts
Oh, that's right.
Gail Deutsch
But Brian talked about how. How this has come up in our show. But that Brian was a really good magic, the Gathering card player, which requires some strategy and skill. But he says that, that Brendan was a very upstanding person. He would tell people, you know, don't cheat on your taxes. Somebody he looked up to.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, he thought that this guy was like, very upstanding. Christina, when you think about the au pair, because a lot of people outside of New York don't know that term as well. But I'm known for friends over the years who have hired these young women who come from. Typically women who come from other countries, they live with the family, they're sort of immersed in their lives. It's more than just the classic babysitter. And that's what's so interesting because Christine liked that concept. She had had an au pair in the house before went really well. That woman got married. She was a part of the family, so this was something that she felt very strongly about. Right?
Christina Corbin
Yeah. So Brendan Banfield and Christine, they both had very demanding jobs and would work long hours, so that didn't really lend itself to traditional daycare. So the idea of having a live in au pair was really suited for their lifestyle and for their work schedules. And the Banfields had had an au pair prior to Juliana margallies, and it was really successful. And Christine actually became very close with that au pair, and they became sort of these really great friends. So they thought. The Banfields thought very highly of the au pair program, and they wanted to bring somebody else in, and they did, and they brought in Juliana.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah. And, you know, as somebod who has had babysitters and nannies in my life, you know, you do depend on these people. But to have them living inside the home, Gayle, and like, really bonding with the family is sort of tricky, I guess, keeping those lines blurred. So in this case, Juliana falls for Brendan or Brendan falls for her. I'm not sure which one came first. But at what point did their relationship become physical?
Gail Deutsch
Well, Juliana says in her testimony that it was around a year where they just had a relationship where they didn't even talk that much. She was mostly interacting with Christine. And then it turned physical. Brendan in his testimony, says that she came on to him. Who knows what really happened, but. But then it turned into where they began, also dating.
Deborah Roberts
What was interesting is that Christine was very open and bubbly and posting online, and she would post pictures of, you know, either her family or, you know, her relationship. She felt very, very good about this. Her friends, and we'll talk more about this later, wondered whether her life was as fairy tale as it sounded. So, obviously the specter of divorce is raised. If Brendan is so unhappy, why doesn't he decide to get a divorce right away? When you started to investigate, what did you learn about those early moments of his discontent?
Christina Corbin
Well, I spoke to several people who knew Brendan years ago, knew Brendan recently, and they said that Brendan was always fixated on money. He was always fixated on finances.
Deborah Roberts
So he didn't want to be hit with the cost of a divorce and what it would cost him financially.
Christina Corbin
Right. He wasn't willing to. To have to lose money and also give up custody of his young daughter or share custody, I should say.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah.
Christina Corbin
Yeah.
Deborah Roberts
Well, it led to some very strange things. So ladies, don't go anywhere and you don't go anywhere because when we come back, we're going to dive into this sort of disturbing scheme that you're going to hear about that Brendan and Juliana plotted from a fetish website to an unsuspecting victim who was lured to the Banfield's home. We've got some exclusive details when we come back, so don't go anywhere. This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Sometimes it can feel like everybody's got it together but you. Well, the truth is, no one's perfect. So if you're struggling with feelings of inadequacy or like you're always comparing yourself to your friends and neighbors and therapy can help you find your way. BetterHelp is one of the world's largest online therapy platforms. They have over 30,000 licensed therapists across BetterHelp's 12 years in business. They've served more than 6 million people worldwide. To get started, all you gotta do is fill out a short questionnaire about yourself and what you're looking for. BetterHelp will match you to a qualified licensed therapist who you can open up to. Somebody who'll listen and support you with getting past whatever's in your way. All their therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and they're trained to listen to whatever's on your mind, no matter how big or small. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist, so sign up and get 10% off@betterhelp.com 2020. That's betterhelp.com 2020 is partnering with Vibes
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Deborah Roberts
Welcome back to 2020 the After Show. I'm sitting here with our editorial producer Christina Corbin and producer Gail Deutsch helping sift through a story that we all reported on together. The episode is called the Au Pair, the Affair and Murder. And it was just really sort of unbelievable. Brendan Banfield, as you learned in the episode, had an affair with the au pair of his four year old daughter. Christina. Let's talk about when you started digging into this. And of course, investigators, it took a while to figure out what happened because some did assume that maybe Christine did do this and wanted to be involved in something that was like a little on the wild side. And then her husband stumbled upon this and then investigators slowly began to sort of unravel. There was pre planning that went on. There was a name that Joe Ryan responded to online. Talk about that elaborate, you know, setup that scheme.
Christina Corbin
Right. Well, this is, is the catfishing theory. And this was at the heart of the prosecution's argument at trial was basically Brendan Banfield and Juliana Perez Magules used Christine's photo to create this profile in Christine's name, although it was under the name Anastasia.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah.
Christina Corbin
To lure this unsuspecting person to the home with the idea that he was going to engage in a consensual sexual encounter with Christine Banfield.
Deborah Roberts
And that's a lot to take in.
Christina Corbin
And that was basically the plot.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, he was supposed to come with knives and all of that. Gail, I remember when we were talking about this in the very beginning and of course the investigators hadn't revealed everything they knew. So we only knew what we had read about. And it was the whole idea was like this sort of violent sexual encounter is what had been portrayed and that she had signed on for this.
Gail Deutsch
And this is something that people who knew her absolutely never believed. Yeah, they never believed that this is the type of thing that she would do. And it emerged later that she had a blood disorder and she's not the kind of person who would be playing around with knife play that.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, I remember when we talked about that and then they were, there were also moments that were revealed. I mean she was even thinking about her daughter even as she lay dying in the house. I mean, she even uttered some words about her daughter.
Gail Deutsch
This is one of the most heartbreaking parts of it. This was revealed in Juliana's confession to police. It didn't come up at trial, but in this, she talks about how Christine's final thoughts were about her daughter and her daughter's birthday and that, you know, this. Why did this have to happen before she could celebrate her daughter's fifth birthday?
Deborah Roberts
Still thinking, truly. I mean, till the end, she's a mom who's caring and thinking about her daughter Christina. The 911 calls were significant and major evidence in this piece because there had been a 911 call, as you might expect in a case like this. But then investigators discovered there'd been a quick 911 call before that, one that was only just a few seconds long, and that was also very telling.
Christina Corbin
The time between the first 911 call and the second might have been close to 15 minutes. And, you know, 15 minutes is an eternity of time in a situation like this. So as we would come to find out from Juliana in her confession, when she made that first 911 call, Brendan was in the room about to start attacking Christine, and he gestured to Juliana, stop.
Deborah Roberts
Call. Get off that.
Christina Corbin
It's too soon. And then we would get a second call 15 minutes later. You know, where Juliana is frantic on the phone. She can hardly speak. So Brendan gets on the phone, and he basically says, I just shot a man who came into my home, and he was attacking my wife.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, yeah. And that was the ruse all along to lure somebody in there so they could pretend that this was a whole assault scene, in a way. Gayle, you. You touched on something a minute ago about how her friends responded. And we had a chance to sit down with three nurses who had worked with Christine, and they were adamant, you know, she was this, you know, happy, go lucky. I mean, this is a woman who worked during the pandemic. She was a Covid nurse, very proudly taking care of her patients. Worked long hours. They talked about. I mean, all of them. They didn't believe for a second that there was a dark side of her that maybe we didn't know. I remember they were adamant about that.
Gail Deutsch
Right. And they also brought up the fact that she had been a sexual assault nurse.
Deborah Roberts
Oh, that's right.
Gail Deutsch
So that was something where they just couldn't conceive that she's somebody who would be enacting some sort of rape fantasy. And not to mention in the. Like, very early in the morning, right after her daughter left her house. It just didn't make any sense.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah. You and I were talking earlier, and while we're putting this piece together, we were talking about Joe Ryan, the guy who was killed here, too. And you can't forget while we're talking about Christine Banfield, this guy who came to the house, this fantasy which he was willing to participate in, you know, was a guy who was killed, who unwittingly was involved in this. And we had a chance to speak with his mom and to hear them talk about their loss, because that kind of got lost in the headlines that this other guy's life was taken, too, in this whole plot because he was shot. And the idea was that he was attacking Christine. Right. And talk to us a little bit about his family.
Christina Corbin
Sure. I had a chance to sit with Deirdre Fisher in Florida, where she lives, and, you know, one of the first things she said to me was, my son has been victimized twice. He was killed in this brutal crime, and then he was framed as the person who committed the crime. And we sat there for a bunch of hours, and she talked about him and really brought him to life in a way that hadn't been done before by anyone in the media, certainly. And she just portrayed this loving, caring, wonderful son, and she's so descriptive and shared many anecdotes about him, and it was really very moving. And she also brought his baby shoes and his baby box to the interview. And that was especially heartbreaking early on
Deborah Roberts
when we were talking about the story. You know, we're unspooling all the details, and I was struck by something that was really shocking. When police were trying to peel away at all the details. They're hearing all the stories. A few weeks and a few months have gone by, and Brendan is still living in the house, the scene of this murder. Juliana is still living there. And when police come back to go and reinvestigate a little bit more, their photo. The two of them. Their photo is in the house. And that was also something that raised some alarms for police.
Gail Deutsch
Oh, yeah. So when they. After they arrest Juliana and they. They're in this house, they can see that she's basically moved into the primary bedroom. And it's just the most insulting thing ever, because her photo with Brendan is right there, you know, on the nightstand.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah. Just months after his wife has been killed. Right.
Gail Deutsch
And it's as if they talk about. As if Christina had been basically, like, erased from this household. And so it's pretty shocking, and it certainly doesn't lend itself to like a grieving husband's, you know, it really was
Deborah Roberts
something that turned the case for police. We're going to take a quick break and when we come back, we are going to sit down and talk about my exclusive interview with one of Brendan Banfield's former mistresses who tells a lot of details about him that shed a lot of light on who he is. And we're also going to take you inside the courtroom some real shocking details that were revealed there. So stay with us. Foreign Decker, the private investigator uncovering the Sunshine State's Darkest Secrets.
Gail Deutsch
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Deborah Roberts
ABC's hottest new crime show. RJ freaking Decker. As I live and breathe, he's a private eye. It's not a standard murder. Something bigger and a public mass trying to get some back to prison.
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Deborah Roberts
and suddenly it's all the jokes. RJ Decker. Series premiere Tuesday, March 3rd on ABC and stream on Hulu. Hi there everybody. Welcome back to 2020 the After Show. And there are some really unusual details that Christina Corbin and Gail Deutsch are sharing with me in our most recent 2020 episode called the Au Pair, the Affair and Murder. Brendan Banfield had a history of infidelities and you all were able to convince one of his former mistresses to come forward. And what was so interesting to me is that she had a real resolve about wanting to share her story. We called her Jennifer. The twists and turns in this case and sort of the bizarreness of this case. She started a relationship with him on a sugar baby website.
Christina Corbin
Well, it was a big unexpected surprise that she came forward in the first place. And we were able to corroborate a lot of her story with text messages, photo, some emails. But when we finally met in person and she started to share her really story about her relationship with Brendan, she said that it started with these meetups. They had a total of seven meetups. And then after that it sort of evolved into a real relationship. A real relationship where they developed feelings for each other and they were basically like boyfriend and girlfriend, but in secret.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, I was really surprised when she walked into the room because she was just this very normal, fun loving, cracked jokes, had a dry sense of humor woman. And she had a boyfriend with her. And she felt adamant that it was important that people knew what Brendan was all about because when she started to read about the case, she learned about this just in passing. She read about this story and couldn't believe it was the guy she had dated. And then she started to hear a lot of the details that were being at least shared with the media. And she wanted to set the record straight.
Gail Deutsch
She did.
Christina Corbin
And she also wanted to share with us that there was one instance where Brendan said something to the effect of, gosh, things would be so much easier if. If Christine were just gone.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah.
Christina Corbin
And at the time, she really didn't think much of it. But then 10 years later, after he's charged with what he's charged with, she has a totally different take on that. She wanted to share that with us.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, she actually did. She felt it was very important, Gail, the idea that he was able to sort of lead this double life in a way. I mean, presumably his wife didn't know the extent. I mean, we did learn that she did know that he was not completely faithful, but obviously didn't know the extent of it.
Gail Deutsch
Right. And Brendan testified that she. That Christine did not know about his affair with the au pair. I mean, this is a man that's bold enough, I mean, to have an affair with the person living in the house with him and his wife.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah.
Gail Deutsch
So. And, and Juliana testified that Brenda didn't seem particularly concerned, like they would go out in public together. So, I mean, he didn't tell anybody, but.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah. She also talked about how, when they went on a trip to New York. But you try to figure out, like, how he was able to figure all these things out. But we' done plenty of stories where we know that these things do happen and people do figure it out, but she was sort of thinking she was going to spend her life with him. And then he starts, you know, to Christina's point, he starts saying, if only his wife were gone.
Gail Deutsch
Right. And apparently, I mean, she didn't. She says she didn't take it seriously at first, but then it kept going on and on with these really, really
Deborah Roberts
specific plans and this horrible murder happens. This woman is killed, Joe Ryan is killed, and police are investigating. So ultimately their arrest. Juliana is arrested first and she was sort of the lower hanging fruit in a way because she had admitted that she actually shot Joe.
Gail Deutsch
Right. Day one, she told police on the scene that she had been one of the people who had shot Joseph Ryan. So she was arrested first and it took a year before Brendan was. And that's the part too, where I think police said that they couldn't see how that, or prosecutors, they couldn't see how that was a justifiable killing when Juliana pulled the trigger, hence her arrest.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah. So she's arrested and then months later, ultimately, he's arrested, too.
Gail Deutsch
Right. And that arrest is. Investigators say it was after very careful looking at forensic evidence, blood evidence, digital evidence, and that's what led to his arrest. That's before Juliana flipped on him. So do you think that he.
Deborah Roberts
You know, oftentimes there's such hubris in these stories. Right. People think they are not going to get caught. He clearly had. This was a very elaborate way of making sure the au pair was deeply entwined in this whole thing. Do you think that he just thought he was not going to ever be caught? He didn't talk to police. He lawyered up. He stopped talking.
Gail Deutsch
Yeah. So he. He didn't talk, and he went to a lot of trouble. Like, he told Juliana he didn't want to do a hitman because you could always trace a hitman. So that's what led to this whole elaborate thing he put in the windows that you couldn't hear screaming through. He changed his routine. He did. There was a lot of detail in this plan, so I guess he thought he could get away with it.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, he had a very detailed life, too, the way he worked with the government and the irs. And he carried a gun because he did work for the IRS in that capacity, which I didn't even know irs, you know, agents and employees carried guns until you guys told me in this story. So Juliana is in jail, and they are exchanging letters, and they still are caring about each other, but then there's questions about whether she's going to flip on him, and ultimately she does. So the case goes to court. And you were there in the courtroom?
Christina Corbin
Yes, I was there in the courtroom. You know, this Judge Ascoratti is a very strict judge. She's a former Marine. You can't drink water in her courtroom or chew gum. So it's very strict.
Gail Deutsch
Buy the book.
Christina Corbin
And when Juliana was testifying, I mean, you could hear a pin drop in that room. And the jury was just so laser focused as she basically took everybody through how this plan evolved and how it was ultimately executed on that day.
Deborah Roberts
And she essentially says that Brendan was sort of the mastermind of this whole thing. She even. He even had her jump on a call at one point to lure Joe Ryan to the house.
Christina Corbin
Yes. And one of the strangest parts of Juliana and Brendan's story that kind of stood out to investigators from day one was this part when Brendan comes back to the home because Juliana's notified him that a stranger is in the residence. Instead of going in by himself or calling 911, he goes in and he brings with him, the au pair and
Deborah Roberts
his four year old child, which is astounding.
Christina Corbin
And if you really, as a law enforcement officer especially believed that there was danger in that home or you didn't even know what you were going to find in that home, would you bring the child in with you?
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, yeah. No. That was actually very, very stunning.
Gail Deutsch
And that resulted in additional charges against him.
Deborah Roberts
Right. What about the emotion between them? You know, because you're sitting there, you're watching when she's testifying. Is Juliana looking at him? Is he looking at her? What's going on with body language?
Christina Corbin
She didn't really look at him. She was sort of looking at, you know, the prosecutor or the defense attorney on cross. I think there was one moment where the defense attorney said something defective and you knew this happened and you didn't tell anybody and no one else knew the truth. And she kind of looked over at Brendan and said, well, Brendan knows he knew the truth.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah.
Christina Corbin
Right.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah. No, that was pretty dramatic stuff.
Christina Corbin
Yes.
Deborah Roberts
And Gayle, you and I, you know, finally felt like we sort of knew what happened, you know, because we're trying to piece this all together as we're preparing the story. But the intricacies of what happened that day in that house were finally revealed because Brendan took the stand and he hadn't talked to anybody. And now finally you're hearing his story and he's, of course, telling a real story, a big story that investigators weren't sure they really, truly believed.
Gail Deutsch
Yeah, clearly the jury didn't believe him. And he said certain things in there that were off putting, particularly the way he disparaged his wife in certain ways and she's not there to defend herself. But it was fascinating hearing his side, his, you know, his story of how it happened, that it was just crazy that he could have been behind it.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah, well, clearly it didn't pay off for him because he was convicted two counts of aggravated murder, use of a firearm in a felony, child endangerment. As you said, he was convicted of all of these things. We don't know exactly what he's going to serve, but he could serve life in prison.
Gail Deutsch
Just last week, Juliana was sentenced to 10 years on a manslaughter charge, for which she pleaded guilty in 2024. The judge said her actions were deliberate, self serving, and demonstrated a profound disregard for human life and she does not deserve anything other than incarceration and a life of reflection on what she has done. Juliana said she prays for forgiveness and acknowledged that she can never take back the devastation that she has caused.
Deborah Roberts
Both of them, obviously, are paying the price for this, this horrible, horrible scenario. And, you know, the families always get you, you know, when we talk about this. And the family had been quiet, Christine's family had been quiet. And then they gave us a statement, Gail, just at the very end, just before we went to. About how they, you know, felt about her, what the world is missing, you know, how hard it was to hear her name sort of dragged through the mud. But yet they want to make sure that people remember the bright light that she was in their lives.
Gail Deutsch
Yeah, exactly. I mean, they want people to know her for the beautiful, caring person that she was. And same thing with Joseph Ryan's mom. I mean, she was just very touching and very strong in her interview, talking about how she wants people to understand who her. Her son really was. And people have this vision of him. That's not true.
Deborah Roberts
This is a story that just has a lot of captivating details. Right. But at the end of the day, there are a couple people here who lost their lives. And you do such a great job of reminding us and bringing in people into these stories who will talk about their lives and remembering the victims. So, sure, yeah.
Christina Corbin
When you hear about their stories, I mean, Christine could have been anybody's friend, anybody's sister. And same for Joe. I mean, I think they're really relatable. And one thing we do so well here at 2020 is we really try to bring to life the victims in our stories so they're not just remembered as a victim.
Deborah Roberts
Yeah. Yeah. Well, this is a story, I tell you, that people will be talking about for a while, and particularly because the trial just happened and we've been working on this for a long time. Ladies, it's always a pleasure. Gayle, so great to see you.
Gail Deutsch
Great to see you. Thank you very much.
Deborah Roberts
Christina. Thank you. And thank you all for being with us today. Remember, you can watch the latest episodes of 2020 on Friday nights on ABC, and you can stream episodes just like this one anytime on Disney and Hulu. Take care, everybody. From 30 for 30 podcasts. Did you say someone got shot? Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman from Miami, gunned down. The key to this case, it's Brian.
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Date: February 23, 2026
Host: Deborah Roberts
Guests: Christina Corbin (Editorial Producer), Gail Deutsch (Producer)
This 20/20 After Show episode revisits a shocking true crime story out of affluent Fairfax County, Virginia: the double murder that followed a twisted love affair between a Brazilian au pair and the father of the child she cared for. The episode goes beyond last week’s television presentation, delving into exclusive investigative details, courtroom revelations, and deeply personal interviews with those orbiting this tragedy. The discussion explores how a seemingly typical American family unraveled through secrets, an illicit romance, an elaborate catfishing scheme, and a catastrophic murder plot.
The episode serves as a sobering reminder of the dangerous potency of hidden desires, financial anxieties, and the far-reaching ripple effects of violence. Through exclusive interviews, careful reporting, and courtroom insights, the After Show rehumanizes both Christine Banfield and Joe Ryan, emphasizing the real, devastating loss behind sensational crime headlines.
“When you hear about their stories, I mean, Christine could have been anybody’s friend, anybody’s sister. And same for Joe. I mean, I think they’re really relatable. And one thing we do so well here at 20/20 is we really try to bring to life the victims in our stories so they’re not just remembered as a victim.”
– Christina Corbin (27:45)