Podcast Summary:

Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Episode: Nanny & Scheming Husband's Filthy Mistress Catfish Murder Plot? | Au Pair Murder, Brendan Banfield
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Ashleigh Banfield dives “drop dead serious” into the disturbing and deeply orchestrated double murder case in Fairfax County, VA, where a federal agent named Brendan Banfield (no relation to the host) and his mistress/nanny Juliana Perez Magalis plotted the murder of Banfield’s wife, Christine, and an unsuspecting man, Joseph Ryan. Ashleigh is joined by Law & Crime correspondent and Pretty Lies & Alibis host, Gigi McKelvey, for a deep analysis of the case’s chilling twists—touching on illicit affairs, an elaborate “catfishing” plot, questions of evidence, and the human aftermath.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Shocking Crime Scene and Initial Theory

• Timestamp: 04:00–07:20
  • On February 24, 2023, police respond to a bloody crime scene: Christine Banfield is found stabbed and dying, Joseph Ryan is shot dead, and Brendan Banfield (husband) is in the home with the live-in nanny (Juliana) and the couple’s 4-year-old daughter.
  • Initially appears as a home invasion gone wrong, but police begin to suspect a staged crime.

2. Background: The Illicit Affair & Double Life

• Timestamp: 07:20–09:50
  • Juliana, the Brazilian au pair, moved in as nanny almost a year and a half before the murders; began a secretive love affair with Brendan, the master of the house.
  • Private trips, concerts, gun range outings—well-documented photographic evidence of their relationship.

3. The Elaborate Catfishing Murder Plot

• Timestamp: 11:18–19:30
  • Brendan (using his wife’s identity on FetLife, a kink/BDSM site) seeks a user—Joseph Ryan—for a specific violent fantasy encounter.
  • Both Brendan and Juliana impersonate Christine online, arrange for Joseph Ryan to come for what he believes is consensual BDSM. Christine is unaware and not involved in any of the online communications.
  • The plot: Frame Joseph Ryan for Christine’s murder, kill Joseph (makes Brendan the “hero”), and erase both obstacles.

4. Pre-Murder Preparation & Day-of Details

• Timestamp: 19:30–26:59
  • Soundproofed windows, trips to the gun range, “forgotten lunches” as an alibi—detailed efforts to stage events, calls, and digital trails.
  • On murder day: Juliana pretends to take the daughter to the zoo, leaves, circles the neighborhood, returns after “forgetting lunches,” and makes several calls to simulate innocence and concern.

5. The Attack & Aftermath: Confessions and Testimony

• Timestamp: 26:59–39:05
  • Confrontation in the bedroom: Brendan shoots Joseph Ryan (who was lured there under false pretenses), then turns and stabs his wife, Christine.
  • Juliana confesses to delivering the final execution shot to Joseph Ryan as he was still alive.
  • Both attempt to stage evidence (e.g., smearing Christine’s blood on Joseph to frame him).
  • Juliana, after months in custody, takes a plea deal, admits her role, and testifies against Brendan in exchange for a reduced sentence (maximum 10 years, possible time served and deportation).

6. The Defense: Disputing the Catfishing Theory

• Timestamp: 39:44–42:47
  • Defense questions whether Christine herself communicated with Joseph Ryan, citing digital forensics and internal police disagreement.
  • Argues the “catfishing” theory could have been invented by investigators—calls Juliana’s credibility into question.

7. Trial Insights: Gigi McKelvey’s Deep Dive

• Timestamp: 43:28–66:33
  • The case’s chilling detail—“almost the perfect murder.”
  • Notable discussion of how the defense hasn’t aggressively impeached Juliana’s credibility, despite her being a jailhouse informant/mistress facing a light sentence.
  • Ashleigh & Gigi debate Juliana’s believability, the prosecution’s reliance on her, and the weaknesses/exploits in digital forensics.
  • Importance of circumstantial evidence: post-murder behavior, moving the nanny in with Brendan, “love blinds you” theory.

8. The Child Witness and Emotional Toll

• Timestamp: 66:33–71:18
  • The Banfields’ young daughter was in the basement during the murders—child endangerment charges discussed.
  • Her perspective/interview not admissible at trial; both hosts feel strongly about justice for the child, who lost both parents and her caregiver.

9. The Victims: Christine Banfield & Joseph Ryan

• Timestamp: 71:18–74:25
  • Both hosts lament how the victims’ reputations could have been forever tarnished if the plot had succeeded—especially Christine, who was framed as a secret kinkster/murder victim by her own husband.

10. Juliana the Nanny: Transformation and Juror Perception

• Timestamp: 80:54–91:31
  • Notable discussion about how lengthy jail stays change a defendant’s appearance (weight gain, loss of glamour)—deliberate or not, it affects juror perception.
  • Gender inequality in how accused women vs. men are presented in court and how superficial impressions can influence juries.

11. Prognosis & Expectations

• Timestamp: 91:31–94:00
  • Gigi predicts a quick guilty verdict given the coherence between Juliana’s testimony and other evidence; both express outrage over the light sentence for Juliana and hope the judge will give her maximum time.
  • Final acknowledgment of the digital forensics’ pivotal role and the hope for clarity and justice—especially for the Banfields’ daughter.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the case’s wildness:

“This case is batshit crazy. If you haven’t heard of it yet, buckle up.”
— Ashleigh Banfield [01:36]

On the plot’s orchestration:

“They thought they had the perfect murder, but you know, they never do.”
— Ashleigh Banfield [02:16]

On Juliana’s plea deal:

“She pleaded guilty, hoping the prosecutors would go easy on her, show her some mercy... 10 years for me if you’re a part of this kind of orchestration. But okay, they have their reasons.”
— Ashleigh Banfield [11:20]

Juliana's testimony about the killing:

“When I was bringing him the towel, he... He got on top of her. And that’s when I first saw him stabbing her with a knife.”
— Juliana Perez Magalis (Nanny) [35:01]

“That’s when I fired... I fired a gun... I hit Joe.”
— Juliana Perez Magalis (Nanny) [37:21–37:43]

On the defense’s difficult position:

“You never know whose fingers are doing the walking...and you never can trust a snitch, either.”
— Ashleigh Banfield [44:26]

On the motive and aftermath:

“Move in, baby, right into her bed. I’ve seen it happen before... And it is a very, very powerful piece of knowledge in the gut of a juror.”
— Ashleigh Banfield [65:29]

On the fate of the daughter:

“Three adults in her life…all the people she trusted are all effectively gone, too. Obliterated in an ugly way.”
— Ashleigh Banfield [70:46]

On victim-blaming danger:

“Their plan…Christine would go out in the ugliest way publicly. Her legacy would be she was all into cheating with a BDSM guy who finally came in and knifed her to death. She got what she deserved. Literally.”
— Ashleigh Banfield [75:00]

Gigi McKelvey’s summary:

“I think this is going to be a very quick guilty. What evidence we’ve seen so far perfectly matches Juliana’s version of events, down to the phone call when it happened, you know, and the digital forensics... I think she was just trying to get her rest and do her job and be mom.”
— Gigi McKelvey [91:50]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:00–07:20 — The Crime Scene & Initial Theories
• 07:20–09:50 — Affair & Relationship History
• 11:18–19:30 — Catfishing Scheme and Plot Deep Dive
• 19:30–26:59 — Pre-murder Setup & Day-of Mechanics
• 31:36–39:05 — Juliana’s In-Court Testimony (Key Excerpts)
• 39:44–42:47 — Defense Strategy and Digital Evidence
• 43:28–66:33 — Gigi McKelvey’s Deep Dive (Trial Analysis, Limitations of Evidence)
• 66:33–71:18 — Child Victimization & Legal Aftermath
• 80:54–91:31 — Gendered Courtroom Dynamics & Defendant Perceptions
• 91:31–94:00 — Prognosis and Final Thoughts

Style & Tone

The episode is direct, irreverent, and filled with Ashleigh’s sardonic humor, skepticism about “jailhouse informants,” and passion for victim’s rights. Gigi McKelvey provides measured, fact-rich commentary with a journalist’s eye for detail. Both hosts express frustration at the legal system’s limitations and the dangers of manipulated narratives, with empathy for the surviving child at the center.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a masterclass in true crime storytelling and analysis. It exposes the calculated horror behind the “au pair murder plot,” challenges the reliability of criminal informants, scrutinizes legal and technical loopholes, and warns of the lasting harm to both justice and the most vulnerable. Ashleigh and Gigi’s conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in the complexities—and the very human cost—of orchestrated murder.

For links to additional sources, trial livestreams, and Gigi’s coverage, check the episode description.