Inside The Banfield Trial: Au Pair Testifies

Summary

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48 Hours: Inside The Banfield Trial – Au Pair Testifies

Host: Ann Marie Green
Guest: Michelle Sigona (48 Hours Producer)
Date: January 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of “48 Hours” delves into the sensational trial of Brendan Banfield, a former IRS agent accused of a calculated plan to murder his wife, Christine, and subsequently shoot Joseph Ryan inside their Northern Virginia home. Central to the prosecution is testimony from the family's former au pair, Juliana Perez Magalese, whose account of the events, motivations, and aftermath is reshaping perceptions about the case dubbed “the au pair affair.” Host Ann Marie Green and producer Michelle Sigona guide listeners through courtroom highlights, legal intrigue, and the intimate details revealed in Juliana’s pivotal testimony.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Case and Its Players

• The Crime: Brendan Banfield is charged with the stabbing murder of his wife, Christine, and shooting Joseph Ryan. Brendan claims Joseph killed Christine, and he killed Joseph in self-defense.
• Central Witness: The family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Perez Magalese, was involved in both relationships and the crime itself. She pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter (Joseph Ryan’s death) and is now the prosecution’s star witness.
• Public Attention & Trial Context:
  • Case unfolding in the same courthouse and under the same judge as the infamous Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial (04:18).
  • No cameras in court, but national attention reminiscent of other high-profile cases.

2. Prosecution’s Narrative: Alleged Murder Plot

• The Motive: Prosecutor Jenna Sands alleges Brendan wanted full custody of his daughter and considered a hitman, but instead crafted a direct scheme with Juliana to murder Christine.
  • Quote (Prosecutor Jenna Sands, 03:13):
    “He wanted her out of the picture, and he convinced young Juliana...that they should get rid of Christine...They crafted a plan...get this guy to come into the house and fake rape Christine. Brendan would be the hero of the day...kill the guy, kill his wife, pretending that it had been that guy.”
• The Catfishing Plot: Using “FetLife” (a fetish website), Brendan and Juliana catfished men in Christine’s name (specifically as "Anastasia") to lure someone who would bring restraints and a knife to the house, setting up Joseph Ryan (07:06–08:27).

3. The Au Pair Takes the Stand

• Surprise Early Testimony: Juliana appears early in the trial, looking markedly different from past images—darker hair, muted clothing, glasses (05:18).

• Her Testimony:

  • Lived and worked with the Banfields for two years.
  • Relationship with Brendan evolved over time; affair is not disputed (06:18).
  • Brendan wanted out of marriage, pressing for full custody, citing money as a factor (06:18).
  • Describes the plot to stage an attack with Joseph Ryan as the unwitting accomplice/victim (07:06–08:27).

• Communications with Joseph Ryan:

  • Exchanges between “Anastasia” and Joseph on Telegram included requests about physical harm, knife pics, and timing (08:27–09:08).
    • Quote (court message read, 08:27):
      “Some marks are okay. As long as they are covered by my clothes, I have a few days to heal up.”

4. Day of the Crime: Detailed Prosecution Timeline

• Event Unfolds (09:25–11:47):
  • Brendan disables locks, turns off Christine’s phone, leaves the house early with Valerie and Juliana (“fake zoo trip”), and coordinates Joseph’s arrival for a staged attack.
  • Juliana acts as lookout, Valerie is in the car, Joseph enters the house.
  • Christine is unaware and still in bed as Joseph enters.
• Quote (Prosecutor Jenna Sands, 09:41):
  “On February 24, 2023, Brendan Banfield’s birthday, the plan was put into action...he chats with Joe to confirm a 7:20 arrival for the execution of the fake rape...Brendan leaves the house, followed shortly by Juliana...Juliana has a gun in her pocket..."

5. The Violence: Inside the Bedroom

• Juliana’s Testimony (11:47–14:44):

  • She enters bedroom after Brendan, hears Christine scream, “Brendan, he has a knife!” Brendan shoots Joe.
  • Christine is alive, tells Juliana to call 911; Juliana dials then hangs up, allegedly at Brendan's gesture.
  • Juliana claims she later witnesses Brendan stabbing Christine; she covers her eyes and ears at times.
  • When Joe moves, Juliana fires the gun at Joe—claims Brendan gave her the go-ahead.
    • Quote (Juliana Perez Magalese, 14:08):
      “I just start telling him, he’s moving, he’s moving. He’s behind you. And that’s when I fired the shot, too.”
    • Further clarification (14:23–14:44):
      “A gun...The gun that...I had in my pocket...The handgun...Yes...Joe.”

• 911 Call Replay:

  • First, Juliana calls (15:01): “My friend, she just wasn’t stuck in the mic. Now he’s bleeding a lot. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
  • Brendan’s turn: “My name is Brendan Banfield...I shot him. He stabbed her. She’s bleeding. She’s got several marks on her neck. What do I do?” (15:17)

6. Aftermath, Arrests, and Strategy

• Immediate Aftermath:

  • Valerie, the couple’s young daughter, is in the basement throughout; Brendan faces additional charges of child abuse and neglect (15:45).

• Police Arrests:

  • Juliana was initially arrested in October 2023—was then living with Brendan, in Christine’s bedroom (17:50–18:19).
  • Brendan arrested a year later, September 2024 (19:28).

• Notable Post-Crime Behavior:

  • Juliana “slipped right into Christine’s place” both domestically and emotionally, even after her arrest; Brendan’s mother supported Juliana’s defense (19:02–19:23).

7. The Plea Deal and Witness Motivation

• Juliana’s State in Custody:
  • Presented as deeply bonded to Brendan, writing that she’d “give her life” for him and “take the blame for both of us” (Michelle Sigona, 19:59–21:02).
  • Suffered from depression, anxiety, considered suicide in jail, began medication (20:00–21:02).
  • Ultimately took plea deal and agreed to testify after financial and emotional support from Brendan’s family collapsed post-Brendan’s arrest (21:24).
  • Letters from Juliana’s mother urge her not to let Brendan’s mother cut off support (21:24).

8. Defense Challenges

• Questioning Juliana’s Motivation and Memory:
  • Defense attorney John Carroll tries to undermine Juliana’s reliability, suggesting her memory is poor, details are lacking, and there’s motive to shift blame.
  • Exchange (23:39–23:47):
    Carroll: “...you don’t remember a lot of details.”
    Juliana: “Well, if you wear my shoes, you don’t remember either. Your brain has a way to...it protects you from losing your mind...many things our brain blocks out. I guess everybody can relate to that at some point.”
• Attacks on Character & Financial Motive:
  • Implies Juliana is motivated by money—dependency on Brendan’s mother; discusses potential profit from media attention (25:05).
  • Explicitly mentions that CBS News never pays for interviews, clarifying for the court (25:05–26:02).

9. Looking Ahead

• Upcoming Trial Elements:
  • Defense signals plans to scrutinize the catfishing narrative further and challenge police handling of the case (26:12).
  • Prosecution’s witness list is extensive; trial scheduled for four weeks but “it’s anyone’s guess” how long it will run (26:12–26:47).
  • Unclear if Brendan Banfield will testify.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He wanted her out of the picture, and he convinced young Juliana...they should get rid of Christine...They would use Christine’s email accounts to create a fake profile to lure someone in...Brendan would be the hero of the day...”
  — Prosecutor Jenna Sands (03:13)

• “Her hair is now completely dark. She had glasses on. It was a. A muted version of her.”
  — Michelle Sigona, describing Juliana’s court appearance (05:18)

• “If you wear my shoes, you don’t remember either. You know, your brain has a way to—a defense mechanism, it’s called...our brain blocks out. And I guess everybody can relate to that at some point.”
  — Juliana Perez Magalese, on memory lapses (23:47)

• “I just start telling him, he’s moving, he’s moving. He’s behind you. And that’s when I fired the shot, too.”
  — Juliana Perez Magalese, recounting the shooting of Joseph Ryan (14:08)

• “It’s exactly what it seems like. And then, not only does she do that, but according to Juliana, this relationship continues after her arrest...His mom, apparently, is paying for her defense attorney at this point.”
  — Michelle Sigona, on the post-crime relationship and family dynamics (19:06)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:13] — Prosecutor outlines alleged murder plot.
• [05:18] — Juliana Perez Magalese’s unexpected early testimony and changed appearance.
• [07:06] — Details of the catfishing plot and FetLife communication.
• [09:41] — Prosecution details step-by-step plan for crime day.
• [12:10] — Juliana testifies about witnessing the crime.
• [14:08] — Juliana describes firing the gun at Joseph Ryan.
• [15:01] — 911 call audio following the incident.
• [17:50] — Discussion of police arrests and timing.
• [19:59] — Juliana’s letters from jail, state of mind, and decision to take the plea deal.
• [23:39] — Defense challenges Juliana’s memory.
• [25:05] — Defense questions her financial motives and media interest.
• [26:12] — Preview of trial’s next steps and witness strategies.

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Episode Tone & Style

This episode maintains a highly detailed, journalistic tone, balancing narrative storytelling with legal intricacies and the psychological underpinnings of the relationships at the case’s core. It leverages both hosts’ reporting backgrounds to provide clarity and insight, while also including genuine moments of emotional reaction and reflection (“I can't even imagine this child being in this house in this particular situation...” — Michelle, 15:45). The interplay is respectful, analytical, and often incredulous at the implausible facts revealed in court.

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Conclusion

“Inside The Banfield Trial: Au Pair Testifies” offers listeners an immersive, real-time look into a deeply complex and disturbing criminal case, seen through the eyes of its most unexpected witness. The episode is thorough in its breakdown of the prosecution’s and defense’s narratives, focusing especially on Juliana Perez Magalese’s testimony and the emotional, psychological, and legal battles that lie ahead.

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Transcript

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[Prosecutor Jenna Sands]

He wanted her out of the picture, and he convinced young Juliana, 22 years old, not from the United States, living in his home, in love with him, that they should get rid of Christine. He talked about hiring a hitman, finding someone to kill her for money, but he was concerned that that would tie back to him, that there would be too much evidence against him, and that he could end up at risk. So they crafted a plan. They would use Christine's email accounts to create a fake profile to lure someone in who was into kinky sex, violent sex, and they would get this guy to come into the house and fake rape Christine. Brendan would be the hero of the day. He would show up, kill the guy, kill his wife, pretending that it had been that guy.

[Ann Marie Green]

And that guy was Joseph Ryan. So joining me now to discuss this case is 48 Hours producer Michelle Sigona. Michelle, it's great to see you.

[Michelle Sigona]

It's great to see you, Emery.

[Ann Marie Green]

So this is one heck of a case, boy. I mean, I understand why the entire country has been watching and you've been following this case basically since it started. And I just want to point out that this trial, trial, the Brendan Banfield trial, is taking place in the same courthouse as the Johnny Depp Amber Heard defamation trial.

[Michelle Sigona]

And it's the same judge. Cameras generally, usually are not permitted. But like the Depp trial, there's a lot of interest in this case.

[Ann Marie Green]

So as for this trial, Banfield's au pair, Juliana, she's now 25 years old. She was originally charged with the murder of Joseph Ryan, but then she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, involuntary manslaughter, and she decided to cooperate with the government. She is the star witness, which is why I expected her to show up maybe later on in the trial. I was really surprised that she was called so early in the trial. What was it like when she walked into the courtroom?

[Michelle Sigona]

It was first. It was very surprising. I mean, openings were a little more than a half hour. There were some other witnesses who had testified, and then they talked about the co defendant. Like on the first day, oh, my goodness. She walks in through a side door, has to walk past the defense table and all the way up to be sworn in to sit down. And she looked drastically different. We've Seen photos of Juliana throughout these, you know, these last few years. Her hair is long, blonder, different style clothing. This was a version of her that we have not seen before. Her hair is now completely dark. She had glasses on. It was a. A muted version of her.

[Ann Marie Green]

Okay, so before she testifies, though, we have these opening arguments, and we hear the prosecution sort of lay out the case that they believe they have against Brendan. What. What do we hear?

[Michelle Sigona]

As we heard earlier, the Prosecutors allege in February 2023, Brendan and Juliana were having an affair. This is inside of. Of their property. And by the way, the defense doesn't dispute this relationship at all. From what we've heard so far, Brendan and Christine also had a young daughter. Her name is Valerie. And Juliana said Brendan wanted out of this marriage. Now, they weren't together at first. This was something that evolved over time. She had, from what she testified to, had spent about a year in the house and then renewed for another year in her program. And. But he felt a divorce was not an option. He wanted full custody of his daughter. And Juliana said money was also involved in part of the issue.

[Ann Marie Green]

Interesting. And then. So how do things unfold?

[Michelle Sigona]

So the alleged catfishing scheme comes about using this website called FetLife. And, as in fetishes. And they would take Christine's laptop and phone to message the people while Christine was in the house. This is incredibly important point because Christine being inside of the house, according to Juliana, was the reason why they would message these other men at home and from her laptop, because Brendan told her if there's some sort of investigation, it would always look like the messages were coming from Christine, coming from her phone, coming from her computer. And according to Juliana, Brendan was looking for someone who would be aggressive and would bring restraints and also a knife to this meeting at the house. She said they were also looking for someone to agree to come to the house before ever meeting Christine in public.

[Ann Marie Green]

So then who's doing the messaging to all of these men? Are both of them.

[Michelle Sigona]

When the defense asked Juliana who who was doing this, there were times when she couldn't remember who was doing the messaging. But she did say it was both of them at different times on different days.

[Ann Marie Green]

So ultimately, after, you know, messaging several men, they finally messaged Joseph Ryan, who is open.

[Michelle Sigona]

And we see the messages in the court presented to the gallery on the Telegram app between Joe and Christine's account. And that account used an alias as well, Anastasia. And there are exchanges between them about cuts and bruises. And Anastasia message that, quote, some marks are okay. I said as long as they are covered by my clothes, I have a few days to heal up.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah, and this character is sort of encouraging a certain level of violence. And she. I don't know if she asked for a photo of the knife, but he eventually sends a photo of a knife too, Right?

[Michelle Sigona]

Yes, Jo did share an image of a knife.

[Ann Marie Green]

So it's one thing to have this communication online, but this is part of a bigger plot. Can you tell us how things were supposed to unfold in the house when Joseph Ryan shows up?

[Michelle Sigona]

I still cannot get over the level of detail that went into this alleged plot. Again, according to Juliana. And here's the prosecutor explaining how this day started.

[Prosecutor Jenna Sands]

On February 24, 2023, Brendan Banfield's birthday, the plan was put into action. Knowing that Christine had the day off, Brendan and Juliana arranged a fake outing for the zoo with. Sorry, a fake outing at the zoo for Valerie. Juliana and Valerie packed a lunch prepared for this fake outing. Christine still in bed, asleep. At 6am Brendan takes her phone and Valerie downstairs. He chats with Joe to confirm a 7:20 arrival for the execution of the fake rape. And Brendan then disables the door lock, preventing it from automatically blocking. Turns off Christine's phone and puts it in a drawer in the kitchen where she couldn't possibly find it to call for help. When she finds an intruder in her.

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[Prosecutor Jenna Sands]

Brendan leaves the house, followed shortly by Juliana. Brendan drives to a nearby McDonald's. Juliana waits in the cul de sac. The plan to give a call out to Brendan as soon as she sees Joe. Valerie is in the back seat, and Juliana has a gun in her pocket. When Joe arrives, Juliana calls Christine's cell phone first to create a record of a fake warning. Even knowing that the phone is turned off, she then calls Brendan to let him know that Joe is in the house. Brendan leaves the McDonald's, drives directly to the home, meets up with Juliana, and with Valerie in tow, they re enter the house through the basement.

[Ann Marie Green]

Okay, so just to make it sort of clear to everyone, the plan, and it's unfolding exactly as Brendan had planned, is to have Jo come into the house. Christine has no idea what's going on, and so, you know, she's still in bed. Juliana is supposed to be taking care.

[Michelle Sigona]

Of Valerie, and so Valerie did. From what we learned from Juliana's testimony on the stand, she remained downstairs while Brendan first went upstairs to the bedroom. A few minutes later, Juliana said she also went upstairs and told Valerie, look, stay behind. And here's Juliana on the witness stand.

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

When I got to the bedroom. Brendan said, TL'd police officer. And Christine's first reaction. That was the first time I heard she say anything at that point. Then she yelled back at Brendan, saying, brendan, he has a knife. And, yeah, that's. That's when Brendan first shot Joe.

[Ann Marie Green]

So Brendan shoots Joe. This is part of his plot, right? He's going to sort of come in and save her. But Christine is still alive.

[Michelle Sigona]

She is alive. And allegedly she tells Juliana to call 91 1, which Juliana did, but then hangs up quickly after Juliana claims Brendan gave her some sort of gesture to hang up the phone. She hangs up the phone. A period of time goes by the 911 center, calls the phone back, leaves a message. And so this is where the prosecution says everything sort of falls apart a little bit because Juliana wasn't supposed to call 911 until later. Juliana said Brendan then got on top of Christine and told her. Juliana to get a towel. So she left. She came back, and that's when she saw Brendan allegedly stabbing Christine with this knife. And she testified, Juliana said she covered her ears and her eyes and at times would look up and saw more of this stabbing taking place. Juliana says Brendan then told her to go to the safe in the closet because that was also part of his plan. But for reasons that she can't make sense of now, when she returned and saw Joe moving, she warned Brendan.

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

And I just start telling him, he's moving, he's moving. He's behind you. And that's when I fired the shot, too.

[Michelle Sigona]

That's when you. Could you say that again?

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

I fired.

[Michelle Sigona]

And when you say you fired, you fired what?

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

A gun.

[Michelle Sigona]

The gun that. That was where?

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

In my. That I had in my pocket. The. The handgun.

[Prosecutor Jenna Sands]

Did you hit anyone?

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Jenna Sands]

Who did?

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

Joe.

[Michelle Sigona]

Juliana says she shot Joe and Brendan gave her the go ahead to call 911 this time for real. This is 15 minutes later.

[911 Operator]

Emergency. I need any help. My. My friend, she just wasn't stuck in the mic. Now he's bleeding a lot. I don't know what to do anymore.

[Michelle Sigona]

Then Brendan gets on the phone.

[911 Operator]

My name is. My name is Brendan Banfield. I'm a. I'm a. I'm a federal agent. This is my house. There's somebody here. I. I shot. I shot him. He stabbed her. She's bleeding. She's got several. Several marks on her neck. What do I do? What do I do?

[Ann Marie Green]

And again, Valerie is in the basement while all of this is happening. I mean, she must be hearing it.

[Michelle Sigona]

It's hard to tell what she heard, I'm a mom to three young children and I can't even imagine this child being in this house in this particular situation. And just so you know, in addition to the aggravated murder charges, Brendan Banfield was also charged with one count of felony child abuse and neglect and one count of felony child cruelty. Related to everything that transpired that day.

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[Ann Marie Green]

And so the investigation begins and unfolds. But before police go after Brendan, they actually arrest Juliana in October of 2023. Why did they arrest her first and not Brendan?

[Michelle Sigona]

That's a great question. They may have been building this case behind the scenes against Brendan. Investigators like to take their time. They like to build their case and be able to, to do this just the once. That's it. That's all you get. And so by the time Juliana was arrested, she was not only living in the marital home, a place that she was supposed to be an employee, but she had moved directly into the bedroom with Brendan Banfield.

[Ann Marie Green]

You've got to be kidding me. I mean, it's hard to say how people should behave, but that certainly raises some eyebrows. That behavior is going to make people very suspicious.

[Michelle Sigona]

Look, I've been doing this for 25 years and I have seen cases across this country of all different magnitudes. And this is the level of detail and the things that have happened and the things that have come out in this courtroom about what went on allegedly behind those. You know, behind those walls of that house. It is. It's really hard to understand. It really is.

[Ann Marie Green]

It's almost like she sort of slipped right into Christine's place.

[Michelle Sigona]

It's exactly what it seems like. And then, not only does she do that, but according to Juliana, this relationship continues after her arrest. Mm. His mom, apparently, according to Juliana, is paying for her defense attorney at this point.

[Ann Marie Green]

Wow. And so. But then when is Brendan arrested?

[Michelle Sigona]

So Brendan is then arrested in September 2024, and Juliana decides to cooperate with authorities. In October 2024, she had some sort of medical emergency. She was in the hospital for a number of days. When she came out a couple of days later, she decided to sign this paperwork. That's what she testified to. And she said that's when the financial support from Brendan's family ceased.

[Ann Marie Green]

So this, to me, is a challenge for the defense. What is the defense's response?

[Michelle Sigona]

Well, the defense attorney, John Carroll, questioned her decision to take this plea. The timing of it all, months after her arrest. And there were letters that were read inside of the courtroom this week and that she had written to Brendan and other people while she was in custody. She wrote about how she couldn't live without Brendan, but she also wrote that she had given up hope, and this was torture for her. She's in terror. She was in terrible pain, saying in part that it was killing her while she was incarcerated and she was considering taking her own life. Juliana said she began medication while she was in jail. This was for depression and anxiety to help her. And later, she writes to Brendan saying that she knew the Commonwealth wanted her to cooperate against him. Um, she wrote to Brendan's mother that she'd give her life for him and that she would never do anything to hurt him. Going on to say, quote, I'll take the blame for both of us.

[Ann Marie Green]

Okay. So that is an intense type of connection. I don't know if I call it love. Whatever. I. I can see how, you know, as she's sitting in jail, though, like, her commitment is starting to weaken. Um, but. But when do things go from I'm willing to take the blame for everything to I'm going to. I got. You know, there's a plea deal on the table. I'm taking it.

[Michelle Sigona]

Well, remember, Brendan is arrested in September 2024, and Juliana took the plea in October. The very next month, the End of the very next month, she messages that she's scared, and she later talks about being disheartened. Then there's a set of days in October when Juliana is in the hospital. We spoke about that briefly just days before the plea. That's, you know, when all of this is sort of taking place. The defense asks if this was just a coincidence, and she said it was. There's also a message from Juliana's mother to Juliana saying, quote, please tell her not to cut you off from your mom. Please tell her it was all Brendan seeming to be referring to Brendan's mother not cutting off this support because, you know, not only was she apparently funding this defense attorney, but she was also funding her account to be able so she could have communication with her mom and other people and buy extra food from the commissary and things of that nature. Juliana had mentioned to her earlier that she was thinking about taking the plea and that this message was written around the time she actually did it.

[Ann Marie Green]

Okay. So this is kind of a standard thing for the defense to do, right? Like question the motives and the motivation of a witness. So we. That's fine. But what is the defense saying about this plot that Juliana alleges that she was involved in with Brendan?

[Michelle Sigona]

Brendan Banfield's defense attorney, John Carroll, disputed this whole catfishing story. This was in his openings, during the cross examination, he tried to get Juliana to share exact details from setting up that account in Christine's name, but she said she wasn't able to remember a lot of the details. Oftentimes you would hear her say, I don't know. I don't recall. I think things like that. Or, I told you that before. And there was clearly tension between her and Mr. Carroll. Yeah.

[Ann Marie Green]

In fact, the defense attorney sort of asks her about that, about her sort of weak memory. I want to play some sound from that. I mean, with all due respect, you.

[Michelle Sigona]

Don'T remember a lot of details.

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

Yeah.

[Michelle Sigona]

That's what's really concerning about this.

[Juliana Perez Magalese]

Well, if you wear my shoes, you don't remember either. You know, your brain has a way to. A defense mechanism, it's called. And it protects you from losing your mind, losing yourself, and many things our brain blocks out. And I guess everybody can relate to that at some point.

[Michelle Sigona]

Okay.

[Ann Marie Green]

I mean, it's reasonable. It's been a number of years. And so if she doesn't remember details, it's also something conveniently that witnesses often seem to forget in crucial details.

[Michelle Sigona]

Sometimes. Yes. And, you know, I think sometimes in. I know if I'm Messaging. You know, there's a lot of things going on with work or messages and things like that. I may not remember certain things, you know, certain dates and things of that nature, but when and there's something as important as what happened here on that day, you would probably, I would venture to say, possibly be able to remember some of those things leading up to it and after.

[Ann Marie Green]

Absolutely. And the other thing that the defense sort of tried to do as well is kind of, you know, be critical of her character. And they bring up the fact that, you know, she needs money. She's dependent on Brendan's mother for money, but she's looking for money elsewhere, too.

[Michelle Sigona]

And he dissects all of her messages, but obviously pulls out the ones that are most important to what he wants to bring forward. And there's talk about how Juliana could profit from all of this. And the defense asks her about this, you know, exchanges that she's had over this time of incarceration with the media specifically. Now, full disclosure, a 48 Hours producer was mentioned during this trial. Since we are covering the case and seeking an interview, but we made it clear that CBS News does not pay for access, ever. It's also important to note when we're working these cases and stories, especially over long periods of time, sometimes we don't do them. Sometimes we do move forward with them. We reach out to everyone. It's very important. We want to be accurate. And that's just. It's what we do. It's what we've always done at 48 hours, and it's what we'll continue to do.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah, I think that's underline and highlight that. So this case is starting off with, you know, well, fireworks for sure. What can we expect now in the coming weeks?

[Michelle Sigona]

Well, the defense attorney, John Carroll, in his opening statement referenced the fact that detectives who didn't agree with this catfishing theory were transferred. So we may hear more about that. I also have a witness list here. This is from the Commonwealth. It was filed with the court. I was in the clerk's office earlier this week going through some of the filings, some of the old ones, some of the new ones. I don't have a defense witness list right now. This trial is slated for four weeks. Whether it will go four weeks or not, it's anyone's guess. But we will be tracking this, and we will be keeping a very close eye on this case.

[Ann Marie Green]

So we don't know if we'll see Brendan on the stand, but, boy, things are starting off really, really interesting. Thank you. So much Michelle for joining us.

[Michelle Sigona]

Thank you so much for having me here with you today.

[Ann Marie Green]

And thank you to the listeners as well. Remember, you can tune into 48 hours as well as 48 postmortem podcast. You can find it right here in your feed or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Michelle Sigona]

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[Ann Marie Green]

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[Michelle Sigona]

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[Michelle Sigona]

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[Ann Marie Green]

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[Michelle Sigona]

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[Michelle Sigona]

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[Ann Marie Green]

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[Michelle Sigona]

You're welcome.