The Au Pair Murders // 479

Summary

Summary of "The Au Pair Murders // 479" Episode of Going West: True Crime

Release Date: February 21, 2025
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman
Podcast: Going West: True Crime by Dark West Productions

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Introduction

In episode 479 titled "The Au Pair Murders," hosts Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman delve into a chilling case involving the brutal murder of a pediatric nurse and the subsequent unraveling of a sinister plot within a suburban Virginia household. Released two years after the tragic events, the episode provides a comprehensive exploration of the case, enriched with detailed discussions, forensic insights, and legal developments.

Background of Christine Banfield

Christine Banfield, born on September 20, 1985, in Ronkonkoma, New York, was a 37-year-old pediatric nurse revered for her compassionate nature and dedication to caring for children in the intensive care unit. Married to Brendan Banfield, an IRS criminal investigator, the couple resided in a spacious five-bedroom colonial home in Herndon, Virginia. Their nurturing environment was further enhanced by the birth of their daughter, Valerie, in 2018 (Heath & Daphne, 02:31).

The Au Pair and the Banfield Family

To manage their demanding schedules, Christine and Brendan employed au pairs from Brazil. Their first au pair, Amanda, became an integral part of the family, forming a close bond with Christine and Valerie. Amanda's departure in 2022 led the Banfields to hire Juliana Perez Magalliangs, a 21-year-old from Brazil, who would unknowingly become a pivotal figure in the unfolding tragedy (Daphne & Heath, 05:36-07:52).

The Night of the Murders

On February 23, 2023, Brendan left for work early in the morning, leaving Juliana and Valerie at home. Juliana decided to visit the National Zoo but returned upon realizing she had forgotten lunch. Upon approaching the Banfield residence, she noticed an unfamiliar car and a stranger entering the house. Attempts to contact Christine via phone were unsuccessful, leading Juliana to call Brendan, who was nearby at a McDonald's. Brendan returned to handle the situation, instructing Juliana to wait with Valerie while he confronted the intruder. According to Juliana, Brendan encountered a man wielding a knife, leading to a violent confrontation where Brendan shot the intruder and Juliana subsequently fired a Glock at him, resulting in his death (Heath & Daphne, 07:58-11:39).

Initial Investigation and Suspicion

The initial police response described the scene as horrific, noting the absence of forced entry and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the intruder, later identified as Joseph Ryan. Lieutenant Aaron Weeks provided limited information, emphasizing the ongoing investigation and the complexities in understanding the motive behind the attack (Heath & Daphne, 13:28-16:23).

Forensic Revelations

Forensic analysis revealed unsettling details: both Christine and Joseph's bodies had been manipulated post-mortem, with blood spatter evidence indicating that their arms were moved and Joseph's body was smeared with Christine's blood. These findings suggested that the crime scene had been staged, raising suspicions about the credibility of Brendan and Juliana's accounts (Heath & Daphne, 18:41-24:04).

The Affair and Conspiracy Theories

Further investigation uncovered that Brendan and Juliana had been involved in a clandestine affair since August 2022. Evidence such as photographs from a romantic getaway, Brendan's multiple extramarital affairs, and his purchase of a Glock from the Silver Eagle shooting range pointed towards a premeditated conspiracy. Prosecutor Eric Clingan highlighted the intricate plan to frame Joseph Ryan by creating a false narrative of a violent encounter linked to BDSM activities, which investigators later debunked as fabricated (Heath & Daphne, 25:24-28:53).

Arrests and Legal Proceedings

Juliana was arrested in October 2023 after police discovered her assuming the role of Christine in the household, complete with personal belongings that indicated her involvement in the conspiracy. Despite her attempts to manipulate the situation, Juliana eventually took a plea deal, agreeing to testify against Brendan in exchange for reduced charges (Heath & Daphne, 30:32-33:33).

Brendan was arrested on September 24, 2024, facing multiple charges, including aggravated murder and firearm offenses. Despite his defense team's attempts to secure bail by portraying him as a non-flight risk, the motion was denied due to substantial evidence indicating his intent to flee and fabricate a new life with Juliana in Brazil (Heath & Daphne, 37:56-39:42).

Trial Developments

The trial, initially set for February 2025 but rescheduled to October 2025, focuses on the meticulously gathered digital, physical, and forensic evidence linking Brendan and Juliana to the murders. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis emphasized the comprehensive nature of the evidence, while forensic experts like Jennifer Coffendaffer critiqued the complexities of Joseph Ryan's involvement, suggesting the possibility of a setup orchestrated by Brendan and Juliana (Heath & Daphne, 41:34-45:12).

Conclusion and Impact

The episode concludes by highlighting the profound tragedy of Valerie, Christine's daughter, who remains a central victim impacted by the loss of her mother and the actions of her father and Juliana. Daphne and Heath reflect on the manipulation and deceit that characterized the case, emphasizing the inevitable unraveling of Brendan and Juliana's plot due to its inherent complexities and flaws (Heath & Daphne, 46:29-48:31).

Notable Quotes:

• Daphne (00:18): "This one is going to furrow the brows, you know what I mean?"

• Heath (02:31): "In 2020, a 37-year-old pediatric nurse was stabbed to death inside her suburban Virginia home alongside a stranger from a dating app."

• Daphne (28:53): "They made a fake profile for Christine so that she could meet up with this guy Joseph..."

• Heath (31:28): "Oh, my God, no, you freak."

• Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano (34:26): "Today's agreement marks a significant step forward in this case..."

Final Thoughts

"The Au Pair Murders // 479" offers an in-depth examination of a case marked by betrayal, manipulation, and calculated deceit. Through meticulous analysis and engaging discourse, Daphne and Heath provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of the events leading to the tragic deaths of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, as well as the subsequent pursuit of justice against Brendan and Juliana.

For those interested in further details, relevant photos and a visual overhead of the Banfield residence are available on the podcast's social media channels. Additionally, listeners are encouraged to share cases they wish to hear about via the podcast’s official email.

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Thank you for tuning into Going West: True Crime. Stay vigilant and informed.

Transcript

[Heath]

Foreign. What is going on, true crime fans? I'm your host, Teeth.

[Daphne]

And I'm your host, Daphne.

[Heath]

And you're listening to Going West.

[Daphne]

Hello everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in today. Big shout out to Chris, who recommended today's case. This one. I cannot believe I didn't hear about this in the news, especially because this happened only two years ago, actually in February of 2023. So like exactly two years ago. There was a bunch of news only a few months ago and I heard none of that, like I don't know what happened.

[Heath]

I actually knew about this case a little bit, did a little bit of diving into it, but all the details hadn't been out yet. So I, you know, I thought maybe we should just wait to do this one. But now with the trial behind us, this felt like the perfect time to cover this case. And again than, thank you Chris so much for putting this back on our radar.

[Daphne]

Like this one is going to furrow the brows, you know what I mean? Like every detail, you're like, what does that mean?

[Heath]

Like furrow the brows.

[Daphne]

As my author speak. No, furrowing the brows, you know, like this. Like your, your brows are furrowed.

[Heath]

I see, I see.

[Daphne]

It's the what the hell face. Like you're going to be all the details. You're just going to be astonished at, you know, you know this.

[Heath]

Heath. I do know.

[Daphne]

I don't have to tell you.

[Heath]

You don't have to tell me. I know the story.

[Daphne]

So thank you guys for tuning in and without further ado, let's div. Actually, by the way, there are, there are some videos, actually there's one video and there's, you know, of course, relevant photos for this case, just like every case we cover. So check out our socials for those to follow along with the episode.

[Heath]

Yes, please go over and follow us on Instagram. We're on Instagram oingwestpodcast and we're also on Facebook. Usually I say that at the end, but if you guys wanna see, you know, photos from this case and all the other cases we've covered, go check us out on socials. All right guys, this is episode 470 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[Daphne]

In February of 2020, a 37 year old pediatric nurse was stabbed to death inside her suburban Virginia home alongside a stranger from a dating app. But what appeared to be the scene of a sexual tryst gone terribly wrong quickly changed in the eyes of investigators the more they questioned the family's live in au pair. And when they did A sinister plot revealed itself. This is the story of Christine Banfield. Christine Benson was born on September 20, 1985 in Ronkonkoma, New York to parents Linda and Gary. And she grew up alongside a sister named Danielle. Christine is remembered as a sweet, genuine and affectionate person who frequently went out of her way to be helpful. This passion for assisting others led her to a career of, you guessed it, nursing, and specifically the pediatric intensive care unit. Co workers recall that she loved children and had a real knack for making families and babies feel comfortable and taken care of, even in some of the most challenging moments of their lives. While working as a nurse, she mentored and trained other nurses. And her penchant for being bubbly and compassionate was loved and appreciated by her patients. In 2010, 25 year old Christine married a man named Brendan Banfield who worked as a criminal investigator for the irs. The two eventually settled in Virginia and together they bought a spacious home in the Hattontown neighborhood of Herndon, Virginia, which is about 40 minutes west of Washington D.C. and it has like a nice, very suburban kind of cookie cutter look to it, like lots of newer two story builds with brick exteriors. And their house was like that too. It's described as a quote, very spacious, five bedroom, four, four and a half bathroom, colonial. And although the house is at the end of a charming cul de sac, I will include like an overhead visual on our socials for anybody who wants to see, because at the end of the cul de sac, there's like a small kind of short street that leads to two extra houses that back into a patch of woods. Now, one of those houses was the Banfields. So it was one of two more secluded houses in this neighborhood. And that does feel important to mention because of obviously what is going to happen in this house. There are many houses nearby, but it's kind of tucked back into the woods a little bit.

[Heath]

The perfect addition for this beautiful new family home was a baby. So in 2018, Christine and Brendan welcomed their little girl named Valerie. And between their demanding careers and Christine's exhausting schedule working as a nurse for Innova Fairfax Women's Hospital and nearby Falls Church, the Banfields needed some extra help. So they decided to hire an au pair from Brazil through a hosting program where they would provide the au pair with room, board and a salary in exchange for live in childcare.

[Daphne]

Pretty good deal.

[Heath]

Yes, it is. And on top of that, the au pair would also be able to enroll in college courses at a local school and immerse themselves in American culture. So this would be a great opportunity for them. Now, the Banfields first hired a young woman named Amanda. And Amanda and Christine had a wonderfully close relationship with Amanda, describing Christine as her big sister since Christine was just 33 at the time and the best host mom ever. So while working as an au pair, Amanda attended classes, met her future husband, and she decided to move to the United States permanently. And in fact, Christine and Amanda were so tight knit that when Amanda got married, Christine attended her bachelorette party, was a bridesmaid in her wedding, and even made a speech to the guests with little Valerie as the flower girl, which obviously makes it very clear that Amanda was such a beloved au pair for the Banfields. And Christine even spoke out against an executive order that sought to make it harder for au pairs to come to the United States from other countries. Writing on Facebook, Our au pair has become a part of our family and we share our love of America with her and she shares her Brazilian culture with us. Now, obviously, with Amanda moving to the States on her own and getting married, she left her au pair job with the Banfields and even moved out of the area altogether, which was hard for Christine and Brendan to come to terms with, knowing that the next au pair would have massive shoes to fill. Since they had such great success with Amanda From Brazil in 2022, they decided to hire another Brazilian woman through their au pair agency. This time it was 21 year old Juliana Perez Magalliangs.

[Daphne]

Lots of practice on that. Magallienz.

[Heath]

That's actually my best friend's last name. Magallangs.

[Daphne]

It worked out for you. Now, as far as the public has been made aware, there was nothing initially threatening about Giuliana's presence in the Banfield home. But soon she would prove herself to be an integral part of the destruction of the Banfield family. After less than a year of being their au pair. On the morning of Thursday, February 23, 2023, 38 year old Brendan left their family home around 7:00am, which of course at this time of year was backed against a wood of barren winter trees and presumably Brendan was headed to work. I want to mention really quick, there's kind of a discrepancy on when Juliana was born. There are many articles that were written at the same time. Some that state she was this age, another that states she was a year older or a year younger than that. We think at about this time she was 23 years old. I know Heath just said less than a year before that she was 21. She might have been 22, but you get the. The general age range here.

[Heath]

Yeah, she was in her early 20s.

[Daphne]

Yeah, I'm gonna say she's 23 right now, but just so you guys aren't confused, now, shortly after Brendan left the house, their 23 year old au pair, Juliana and 4 year old Valerie, headed out, bound for the National Zoo, which is just north of downtown Washington D.C. so only about 40 minutes with traffic. But when they were en route, Julianna apparently realized that she had left their lunches behind, so she had to double back. Well, as she approached the Banfield house, she noticed a car out front that she didn't recognize and a man she had never seen before entering the house. Wary, she called Christine on the phone, but her phone went right to voicemail. Julianna then called Brendan, who conveniently happened to be around the corner at a McDonald's. So he headed back to the house to survey the scene and figure out who this guy was. According to Julianna, Brendan met her and Valerie in the driveway and walked them around to the back of the house, where they entered through the basement. He told Julianna to wait with little Valerie downstairs and headed upstairs to check on his wife Christine in their master bedroom. Brendan claims that he opened the door to find a man who appeared to be about his age, so late 30s, holding a knife to 37 year old Christine's throat while she was nude. By Juliana's account, Brendan yelled, drop the knife. So au pair Juliana then raced upstairs to help him, leaving Valerie downstairs by herself. Brendan pulled his service weapon, given to him, of course, by the irs, on this intruder. And when Juliana arrived at his side, she watched Brendan shoot the man in the head, near his eyebrow, near his right eyebrow, as the man supposedly stabbed Christine. Brendan then directed Juliana to go to the safe in the bathroom closet and retrieve a Glock, giving her the code while keeping his service weapon locked on the intruder. So he sang, juliana, go get another gun. Even though he has already shot the intruder in the head.

[Heath]

Yes.

[Daphne]

So under his instruction, she brought out the Glock and fired a shot into the man's chest herself. Now, this man has been shot twice. Brendan also struck him once, but it was the shot to his heart by Juliana that took his life.

[Heath]

Now, obviously, from first sight, this seems pretty cut and dry, but unfortunately for the investigation into this whole chaotic mess, the timeline was murky from the start. Juliana made the first 911 call at 7:47am so just 10 minutes after, she called Brendan to tell him about this possible intruder. And though police have been tight lipped, about their findings. Still, to this day, the media has been rife with speculation. Like, it's possible that the shooting and stabbing took place before Julianna left the house to go to the zoo. So before she says, she forgot their lunches and had to come back, making that whole portion of the story a lie, Julianna hung up the first 911 call she made before calling back and letting Brendan tell the operator that he had just shot the man who had stabbed his wife. So maybe it's possible that Julianna panicked and called too early, and Brendan instructed her to hang up the first call. But however it happened, Julianna told first responders that her friend had been hurt. Now, when officers arrived on the scene, they separated her from Brendan, bringing her outside with Valerie. After one officer led Valerie away from the scene, Julianna described to another, through tears and panicked gasps, that Brendan walked in when the intruder was about to stab Christine in her bedroom.

[Daphne]

So not after he stabbed her.

[Heath]

Right? Exactly. Now, she alleges that she and Brendan attempted to intervene to save Christine, but that they had been too late. During Juliana's interview on the scene with police about this mysterious man in the house, she explained what had happened. And here's an audio clip from the officer's body cam footage.

[C]

Still breathing fine. Still breathing.

[Heath]

Still breathing. Yes.

[D]

So his car called her to see what's going on. Because early in the morning, like the people who see. And then he was trying to voicemail. I called Brandon. It's her husband. He's up there. I told him I. I see a strange car, but I don't know who is that? Please come here. I'm scared. I was just following the car, and then he. He came here, and then we went inside. The guy. I don't know who it is. He was spanking her. Doing. I was just here.

[C]

Were you here when it happened, or did you walk up in there and.

[D]

Yeah, he went upstair. And then I went to see. What is going on. I left ballerina basement. And then when I went up the stars, you. Brendan was saying, drop the knife. Drop the knife.

[C]

So Brendan's a police officer?

[D]

Yeah, he's an officer.

[C]

Is he with Fairfax?

[D]

No.

[C]

Where is he an officer?

[Daphne]

I don't know.

[D]

I think it's. I don't know. I think he was opposing to Vienna.

[C]

Vienna?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

Because they were yelling each other. He was saying, like, drop. Drop the. The. I'm sor. I'm just.

[C]

No, no, no. You're doing really well.

[D]

He was saying, drop. Drop. Drop the.

[C]

Oh, the knife or the Gun.

[D]

The gun. And Brendan said, no, police, drop the knife. And then he was, I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill her. And I don't know if he. He stabbed. He started stabbing her. Brendan, I think Brendan shot him. And he asked me help him too, because.

[C]

It's okay. You don't have to get it all out right now. Girl before, like, you didn't see the girl before either. So the guy and the girl, you don't know.

[D]

This is my boss.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

I never seen you before. Like, it's a lot of fun.

[C]

Okay.

[Daphne]

Now, responding officers describe the scene as horrific and appalling. Oddly enough, police found no evidence of forced entry. So there was really no answer off the bat as to how this guy got inside, who he was, what he wanted, why he was allegedly trying to kill Christine. The puzzle was totally unfinished. Now, a knife and two guns were removed from the scene. And because one of the guns that discharged was a service weapon, there would obviously be an internal investigation conducted by Brendan's employer, the irs, regarding the two deaths. So there's like extra eyes on this case, right? Well, upstairs, EMTs worked on Christine and the intruder, later claiming that Brendan seemed far more concerned with the stranger's condition, the supposed intruder, than his wife's.

[Heath]

So why would that be interesting, huh?

[Daphne]

Yup. But it was too late for the man and he was declared dead at the scene. I mean, remember, he was shot in the heart and in the head. Now, Christine was still alive, but in critical condition, which is why the officer told an emt, still breathing. In the body cam footage that we played, that is what that was about. 37 year old Christine Banfield was raced to a nearby hospital. But sadly, she also succumbed to her injuries and she died. From the outset, the scene was a puzzling one, enough to prompt an investigation by the Herndon police to verify the totally outlandish claims being made by the only two surviving witnesses, Brendan and Julianna, like, nothing they were saying was really clicking about them happening to walk in on this man killing Christine and then Brendan killing this man. It was just kind of like, that's a sort of insane thing to happen. When questioned about any sort of motive that either she or Brendan may have to conjure this whole situation up, Julianna was asked by investigators point blank if she had been involved in an extramarital affair with Brendan. And Julianna said that she had not. As police struggled to connect Christine to the stranger in her bedroom, Again, they have no idea where this man came from. Lieutenant Aaron Weeks, who was One of the first on the scene announced to the public what little they knew so far, which included the identity of the so called intruder whose name was Joseph Ryan. Aaron explained, quote, they found Christine Banfield in an upstairs bedroom. She had been stabbed multiple times in the upper body and Joseph Ryan had been shot multiple times in the upper body. We have recovered all weapons and we've identified all persons involved in this case. We are keeping options open. We will continue to investigate. Our big thing is continuing to interview people, continuing to review all digital and forensic evidence and learn how Christine Banfield was fatally stabbed.

[Heath]

A search of Christine's computer revealed a profile on a website that advertises itself as the social network for people in the BDSM fetishism and kink communities, which is called FetLife. Christine's profile could be found under the name Anastasia9, which had a picture of Christine in a one piece bathing suit. Also found in her computer's history was an email that contained this bathing suit picture which Christine supposedly sent to her husband Brendan, who sent it to Juliana who then sent it back to herself.

[Daphne]

So that's really strange.

[Heath]

Yes, it is. Well, based on her activity on the app, Christine was using it as a casual dating or hookup site. And it was there that she met the man who had been killed in her house that day, 39 year old Joseph Ryan. Though some reports state that he was 38. Now, a friend of Joseph's who knew of his budding sexual relationship with Christine claims that Christine told Joseph that she and her husband were in somewhat of an open relationship and that she had experimented with extramarital sexual relationships before with her husband's knowledge. In their conversations, Christine had also shared with Joseph that she had a proclivity for rough sex, bondage and violence during these affairs. But those who knew Christine best were skeptical of this claim, even though of course a lot of people aren't very open about their sexual interest to friends and family. You know, some people just don't talk about that kind of stuff. But we're just mentioning this because it's, you know, important to note that no one was really buying that this whole affair with Joseph was even real or something that Christine was even looking for. As prosecutor Eric Clingan would later state, there was not, quote, one iota of evidence that she was into knife play, binding or bdsm, which of course is relevant to the case for sure, as you guys are gonna see.

[Daphne]

But that version of Christine, you know, the one who was allegedly into BDSM is who Joseph thought he was meeting up with that February morning for the first time because someone had communicated that to him. And spoiler alert, it wasn't Christine. In their correspondence before they met in person, they basically discussed their shared enjoyment of knife play, blood play, cutting and rough sex. And Joseph and Christine talked back and forth on the encrypted messaging app telegram about all this kind of stuff. A friend of Joseph's later confirmed that he had been open with friends about his sexual preferences, but that they were always done with consent, which is something that he thought he had, of course, with Christine, or at least according to their online conversations. So just saying that obviously because you know, him arriving at her house to have this exchange was supposed to be consensual. He thought he was meeting up with a woman who agreed to all of this. 39 year old Joseph Ryan hailed from Springfield, Virginia, so about 30 minutes away from Herndon where the Banfields lived. He's described as a gentle soul who loved animals, had many friends and close family members, and would never think of.

[Heath]

Hurting anyone, at least non consensually.

[Daphne]

Yeah, like he's not going to go into this woman's house and murder her. That's just not who he is. So little has been made known about him. Like he doesn't even have an obituary online. That's why there's even discrepancies about something as simple as his age, like Heath brought up. But his mom, Deidre, came forward to share a statement on behalf of her son saying, quote, I loved him so much. We spent countless hours as an adult on the phone. He would call me all the time. I can't really tell you the level of our friendship. Not everybody gets to have that. And I was blessed with that as a parent. Every day I miss him every day. So in the beginning, for months, the families of Christine and Joseph were forced to accept what happened like it was some ill fated sexual tryst gone wrong. But behind the scenes, police weren't so sure. Detectives began compiling evidence based on what had been left behind at the scene, Particularly in the form of the blood spatter evidence in the master bedroom where Christine and Joseph had been mortally wounded. But forensic analysis of the crime scene that the bodies left behind proved that the victim arms had actually been posed. Before they were found, Joseph's arms had been moved from how he had originally collapsed. And they had also been manually smeared with Christine's blood.

[Heath]

With this stunning revelation in their back pockets, detectives kept a close watch on Juliana and Brendan. Now I know obviously you guys might think that it's not so suspicious that Joseph had Christine's blood on him. If they talked about blood plates before or again, at least Joseph had talked to someone posing as Christine about this. But knowing that the scene was staged was huge. So as police dove further into the lives of the survivors of this strange incident, they found more reasons to be suspicious of them. Because in the six months leading up to the deaths of Christine and Joseph, Juliana and Brendan had traveled to New York City together for a romantic getaway, proof of which could be found in the form of pictures on their devices. I mean, there was even one picture of the couple half naked in a fucking hot tub. According to friends and family back home in Brazil, Juliana referred to Brendan as her boyfriend and fantasized about their life together. As detectives quietly searched the dark corners of Brendan's seemingly upstanding existence as an officer of a government agency, more of his indiscretions came to light. Detectives also spoke with numerous women that Brendan had engaged in romantic and sexual affairs with during the course of his marriage.

[Daphne]

Meaning he had been cheating for years, and they'd only been married for a few years.

[Heath]

Yeah, this guy is a total cheater. Now, prosecutor Eric Clingan reported, quote, multiple credible women confirmed this fact, including one in particular, who told him that during the course of her affair with this defendant a few years ago, he would constantly promise to leave his wife. Eventually, he told her it would be so much easier for us if she wasn't around. More damaging pictures surfaced of Brendan and Juliana visiting the Silver Eagle shooting range in Ashburn, Virginia, just two months prior to this incident.

[Daphne]

So this is not a good look.

[Heath]

Not at all. Well, then, on January 28, 2023, shortly after this visit and less than a month before the killings, Brendan returned to the same gun range and purchased a Glock. The same Glock that was used by Juliana to shoot and kill Joseph Ryan. And on top of this, both Juliana and Brendan had even gotten new phones prior to the murders. Juliana eight days before, and Brendan four days before. Then another bombshell revelation came when the prosecution discovered that Brendan seemed to be preparing to leave the country. He had taken up learning Portuguese, which is obviously the official language of Brazil, and helped Juliana obtain a new passport after hers had been seized by authorities in the midst of this investigation.

[Daphne]

So it seems like their whole plan was to get rid of Christine and start a new life together in Brazil. As if. If. As if that would make this man happy, you know?

[Heath]

And also as if that would not make them look like the most suspicious people of all time.

[Daphne]

Though it Took months of painstaking detective work, law enforcement officially reached the conclusion that Christine and Joseph had both been set up. Based on evidence pulled from their phones and online activity. Detectives came to the belief that Brendan and au pair Juliana had started their affair in August of 2022. So shortly after she started working for the family, Brandon then hatched the idea that they should trap his wife in the midst of a sexual fantasy gone wrong in order to get rid of her. Which means that Joseph Ryan really was just collateral damage. So after creating a profile on FetLife under false pretenses and connecting with Joseph, Juliana even posed as Christine so that they could speak on the phone. The prosecution maintained the defendant and her armed law enforcement lover did not stand by and patiently wait to shoot Joe until after he finished stabbing Christine several times. That's just not believable. This is a story that was made up to cover a murder. And when you think about it, this is really such a complicated plan. So they essentially made a fake profile for Christine so that she could meet up with this guy Joseph so that he could be lured over to their house so that Brendan could. You know, they had all these talks about knife play so that Brendan could be there when he arrives to the house to kill both of them just to make it look like he killed the man that killed his wife. It's so complicated. So it's really no wonder they got caught, because it didn't make any sense.

[Heath]

Well, obviously, he's trying to come out on the other side and look like the hero that tried to save his wife, so that. So as to, you know, make police not think that he was possibly involved in this. But at the end of the day, they caught him in all this, and it just. It just kept unwinding and unwinding.

[Daphne]

I definitely understand their perspective, you know, because obviously, if she had died, otherwise, he would be the first person that they looked at. So if he's like, oh, I go in and I kill the guy that killed her. Yeah, like you're saying I'm the hero. At the end of the day, I was trying to save my wife. Don't kill her.

[Heath]

Don't look at me. I'm innocent.

[Daphne]

But it was still. It still didn't work. Like, maybe just don't murder.

[Heath]

Yeah, well, as I always say on this show, what do I always say?

[Daphne]

Get a divorce.

[Heath]

Get a divorce. Don't kill your partner. Get a divorce.

[Daphne]

When police arrived back at the scene of the crime in October of 2023, so about eight months after the murders, finally prepared to arrest Juliana, they came upon another shocking development. So Juliana had moved into the master bedroom that Brendan used to share with his wife, Christine. And Juliana was now basically playing house as his wife and Valerie's mom, even though, as evidenced by the original crime scene photos, she originally lived in a guest room, obviously, just like their previous au pair. On their bedside table was a framed photo of the two of them, of Brendan and of Julianna together looking cozy in front of a floral background, proving their relationship even further.

[Heath]

I mean, did they really think that they were going to get away with this with, you know, Christine's family seeing them? I mean, obviously Christine's family is going to see her parents, are going to see their granddaughter, and they're what? They're going to walk into the house and, oh, there's a bunch of photos of you and Juliana everywhere. Like, what the fuck?

[Daphne]

Yeah. And Valerie's going to grow up knowing that Juliana has been her stepmom for years. I mean, again, this is a ridiculous plan.

[Heath]

It was just bound to fail.

[Daphne]

It was bound to fail and blow up 100%. Her clothes, of course, also were hung in his closet. And her lingerie was even laid out on the bed. 23 year old Juliana was arrested on October 13, 2023, on charges of using a firearm in commission of a felony and second degree murder. When she was arrested, her first question from the back of the police car was, can I visit Brendan?

[Heath]

Oh, my God, no, you freak.

[Daphne]

Yeah, no, also something like you were just saying about her family, Christine's family. Also freaking. Juliana's family knew that they had been dating before the murder happened. So if any of them were questioned and like, what did they think? Oh, suddenly, hey, fam. Like the woman. Sorry, that was so cringe. Hey, fam. Hey. My family, the woman that. The woman that I opair for, who's married to my boyfriend, she died. She was murdered. Like, again, bound to blow up. While Juliana was held without bond. But allegedly, Brendan himself paid for an attorney for her. However, there is a rumor online that says that Brendan's mom was shouldering the financial burden of those legal fees for Julianna and even went so far as to visit her in prison in order to persuade her to keep her mouth shut. Like, trying to save her own son's ass.

[Heath]

Oh, that's a bad look. Really bad look.

[Daphne]

Yeah. So it's like so many people know about this trickery. In the 11 months between her arrest and Brendan's, law enforcement closely monitored the phone calls between the two. And in one recorded phone call after her arrest, Giuliana told Brendan, I hope you're not just staying with me because you're afraid I'm gonna turn against you, girl. These are recorded. Get real.

[Heath]

Yeah. Seriously. How stupid.

[Daphne]

But to his dismay, she did exactly that. Somehow, Brendan avoided arrest until nearly a year later. But as Julianna waited behind bars, her patience grew thin. And eventually, she was offered a chance at freedom. And she took it. In exchange for pleading guilty and testifying against Brendan and telling the real story, she received a lesser charge of manslaughter, and the firearms charged against her was also dropped. So she was only brought up on charges in Joseph's murder and not Christine's. This is all in exchange to tell police the real story.

[Heath]

Juliana's plea hearing revealed that after her affair with Brendan began, he expressed a desire to, quote, be rid of his wife, and that the pair started plotting her murder. Brendan himself created the FetLife profile, according to Juliana. And after they established contact with Joseph, Juliana herself posed as Christine on the phone so that they could discuss the details of their upcoming sexual affair at Christine's house. Perhaps to cover herself, Juliana claimed that she told Brendan multiple times before the murders that she didn't want to carry out with this plan. She also finally revealed to the public what actually happened, solving many of the questions left unanswered about that chaotic day. On the morning that he murdered Christine, Brendan took Christine's phone, turning it off and putting it in a kitchen drawer.

[Daphne]

Which is why it went to voicemail when Juliana called it, even though she knew what was going on.

[Heath]

He and Juliana then entered the bedroom wielding their guns, and Brendan called out, police officer, shooting Joseph in the head near his eyebrow. Brendan then stabbed Christine until she was nearly dead. When Juliana saw that Joseph was still alive, she shot him again, striking a fatal blow to his chest with the Glock that Brendan had purchased for her. Following Juliana's plea deal, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano announced today's agreement marks a significant step forward in this case, and it's an important development in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families. Much of the information that led to this agreement cannot be made public at this time due to the upcoming criminal trial against the other defendant in this.

[Daphne]

Matter, and because of everything you just said, you know, there is a really big question in my mind that still has not been answered, and that is, how did Joseph get into the house? Obviously, again, he's arriving to the house thinking Christine is this woman he has been talking to for a little while, planning to have a Sexual affair with. And he gets to the house. But here's Christine on the other side of that door. She has no idea who Joseph is. She doesn't know anything about what he thinks is happening here and his reasons for being at her house. So I guess I just wonder, you know, he. Brendan, allegedly then went into the bedroom, like you said, and they were there. Obviously, that's not it. Obviously, Christine didn't say, oh, yep.

[Heath]

Hey, I see it. Come on in.

[Daphne]

Yeah, come on in. Let's go. The bedroom. Like, she was probably like, who the fuck are you? You know. And no, I wasn't talking to you. What do you. What do you mean? Obviously. So I wonder if, like, again, how this unfolded. And also, can we just remember this is like 7:30 in the morning. So you're not expecting a man to knock on your door and say, hey, I'm here for the hookup. Like, what. What happened?

[Heath]

I wonder if it was something like, you know, Brendan and Juliana convinced Joseph, like, hey, the door's unlocked, Come on upstairs type of thing. Like. Like, don't even bother knocking on the door, just come right in type of deal.

[Daphne]

Yeah, that absolutely could have happened. And then remember. Good point there. Because they say, you know, again, I don't know how much we can trust of them, of course, of Juliana and Brendan. They said. Or Juliana said she saw him going into the front door, and she said, who is this man? Of course she knew who he was. And that they entered through the basement. Why didn't they enter through the front door? Because they wanted it to look. They. You know, like.

[Heath]

Yeah, they wanted. They wanted to go through the basement, the back, so that it would. So that they could kind of sneak up on the situation.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And maybe, I don't know, maybe it has something to do with fingerprints or it not looking the front door, not looking a certain way. I don't know. I know that sounds kind of confusing, but I'm just trying to think of reasons why they would possibly want to leave the front door untouched. But, yeah, that's totally possible. Maybe they said, come on in. So there's so much we don't know, but that's a huge question in my mind. How did we get from point A to point B?

[Heath]

Yeah, I mean, there's definitely a lot of unanswered questions as far as, like, how everything unfolded, specifically. Specifically down to the small details. But, you know, what's important to know here is that these two people committed these murders. And however it happened, it was done.

[Daphne]

And Joseph is completely innocent of Murder. He was not an intruder. He was there for a fake reason, and he had no idea that he was being tricked.

[Heath]

I think in Brendan's mind, he probably. Or in his mind. Sorry, I think. You probably think that this was. Thought that this was a genius idea, you know?

[Daphne]

Yeah.

[Heath]

That he. That he made it seem like this. This guy that's into knife play and blood play and things like that was, oh, he's trying to kill my wife. And, you know, I'm the hero here. Like, he planned it. He planned it, I guess, kind of.

[Daphne]

Well, you're like, he almost did it.

[Heath]

Yeah. Like, he almost did it, but he's obviously too stupid to actually, like, figure the whole thing out.

[Daphne]

Well, this is also real life. Like, things don't go exactly as you plan. Shit happens. People react differently. Nothing ever goes the way you plan it. So, like, you're saying, stop with this complicated bs, get a divorce and move the hell on.

[Heath]

Also, I just want to say this is not the movies. You know what I mean? Like, he was planning this like it was going to go down like some sort of, like, crime movie.

[Daphne]

That's.

[Heath]

That's not how it ever happens.

[Daphne]

That is not reality. Well, obviously, there's a lot of stuff that Heath and I don't know. There's a lot of stuff that the public doesn't know. But when investigators felt like they had enough information to come after Brendan, they did just that and they arrested him on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. But his attorneys immediately pushed for bail to be made available that Friday. At his bond hearing, his defense team argued that Brendan is not a flight risk. How is that so? And needs to be released in order to care for his child. But, of course, their motion was denied.

[Heath]

Hey, yeah. How is he not a flight risk? His whole idea was to go to fucking Brazil with his mistress.

[Daphne]

Portuguese learning ass like he is. He is the definition of a flight risk. Well, Jennifer Coffendaffer, who is a former FBI agent, asked to lend her expertise to the case. And she mused that the most baffling questions left behind in the case are those pertaining to Joseph, which is what Heath and I were saying regarding the FetLife profile. Jennifer said, quote, what is not immediately clear is who set up the account. They're keeping the details now, I believe, because this is pretty salacious, first of all, that you will be lured by this. That you will be lured by a sex situation involving violence, which is really the premise behind why he was lured there. And he came. He came there. This is something that's going to play for the defense as well, because the defense is going to be able to shine a bad light on the victim. That's what they always want to do. They always want to show the victim was a terrible person. I'm not saying this shows that. I'm saying the defense is going to use it for that. But it's also very important for the prosecution because they need to show the setup and who is behind the account. They need to show why he was there, even though it's not an element of the crime or something. You don't have to prove in the court of law, per se. But a jury wants to understand that how in the world could this individual be involved in such a horrific crime? This involved a stabbing. This involved multiple guns. This involved shooting someone. And I do think that that is why they went on FetLife and not, like, hinge. I feel like they probably wanted to find somebody who had a kink or a fetish, like knife play, for example, or cutting or blood play, like Joseph.

[Heath]

Yeah, that's what I mean when I was saying that it was actually set up kind of. Well, it just was executed dumb.

[Daphne]

Yeah, absolutely. And. But that is such a difficult element here, especially to a lot of average people, of course, and people who don't understand certain kinks and fetishes and who aren't open to understanding them, is that they would look at this and say, well, that's a sadistic person, and he could have absolutely killed her then because he was into this. Which is why there's so many people out there that say, you know, don't kink shame. And these kinks come from so many different things, and people have so many different reasons to have these kinks and fetishes, and a lot of people are not understanding and open to that. And that is a dangerous situation for the prosecution.

[Heath]

Absolutely. We basically knew for a fact that the defense was going to go that way, that they were going to use this kink as something to prove that Brendan was not the killer here.

[Daphne]

And they will do that in the trial. They will still try to make it seem like Joseph is behind this.

[Heath]

Well, expert forensic investigators spent more than a year combing over DNA evidence, including blood spatter patterns. And although the prosecution has refused to detail what evidence this is beyond maintaining that the bodies were moved and Joseph's body was painted with Christine's blood. It was damning enough to put Brendan behind bars. However, his attorney, John F. Carroll, casts doubt on these theories and will likely blame Juliana. Instead of taking any accountability in Brendan's indictment hearing. John addressed Fairfax Circuit Chief Judge Penny S. Ascarete, saying, it just doesn't add up. Judge he pleaded for bail on behalf of his client, but bail was, of course, denied. When Brendan was put on the stand, he refused to answer a single question, including the most easily verifiable yes or no questions, including whether or not he was married to Christine Banfield.

[Daphne]

Just pleading that fifth.

[Heath]

Yep. The judge later mused the government may be playing two potential defendants against each other.

[Daphne]

Well, Brendan was charged with four counts of aggravated murder, as well as use of a firearm in commission of a felony. At a press conference of the day of his arrest, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announced, quote, I knew, I suspected, I had a feeling that there was a lot more than met the eye that morning. And certainly it's 570 days later, and we are finally in a position to announce that two persons are being charged and held responsible and introduced to our criminal justice system for these two murders. So I'm not going to characterize my opinions about the evidence other than to describe. The evidence exists in abundance to give us probable cause to bring these charges forward. And it's digital evidence, it's physical evidence, it's forensic evidence, it's circumstantial evidence. The detectives, the prosecutors, have worked meticulously to ensure that every T is crossed and every I is dotted. But the work still goes on. More information will likely be forthcoming when Brendan's trial commences on October 20, 2025, though it was originally set for February of this year. So it would have either already happened or would be happening right now. But it's interesting. It was pushed. It's now taking place this same week as Anna Walsh's case. We covered her case a couple years ago, so that will be a busy week for marital murder justice.

[Heath]

Yeah. I mean, it's crazy to think how long it takes to get justice in these cases. Like, it's. It's taking years.

[Daphne]

Yeah, years. I mean, also with Anna Walsh's case, that happened only a month and a half or so before Christine Bamfield's murder. So, yeah, for them to happen the same week, I guess we'll see what other information comes available in late October. Now, Juliana will face sentencing next month and stands to see as many as 10 years in prison, with credit for time served after her death. The Banfield's first au pair, Amanda, posted a touching tribute to Christine on Facebook, promising to take care of her daughter. Following Brendan's arrest, Police Chief Kevin Davis was asked about Valerie's whereabouts. To which he responded, quote, out of respect for the families, she's still a little girl. We're not going to go into what life is like for her because people who care about her are ensuring that she is taken care of. Certainly it's not an easy thing for any family to go through, but the right people are involved to make sure she's taken care of. The truest victim of all of this is that poor girl. Thank you so much, everybody, for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Heath]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. And, hey, if you're upset with your circumstances in your marriage, get a divorce.

[Daphne]

Especially with what I was just reading about. You know that quote from Police Chief Kevin Davis talking about Valerie? Like, also, he, like, if you love your daughter, why would you want her to grieve, grow up without her amazing mom? Like, it's utterly unimaginable and baffling.

[Heath]

Yeah, I mean, well, that's easy to answer. He thought he was going to get away with it. He thought he was going to have this new life with Juliana and that, you know, Valerie was going to have.

[Daphne]

A new mom, but still, that's so selfish. Like, I think it's impossible for us to put ourselves or ourselves in someone like Brendan's shoes because that is just the worst type of person on this planet. So we're glad he is where he belongs as well as Juliana, because she was very much a part of this, too. She's not innocent in this. Just because she's getting a lesser sentence because she turned on Brendan. She was a part of this.

[Heath]

Yeah. I honestly think it's kind of bullshit that she's getting, you know, a deal here. But, yeah, if that's the way it has to go for justice to be served, then I guess it is what it is. But thank, thankfully, these two people will be in prison.

[Daphne]

Well, thank you guys so much for tuning in. A big thanks again to Chris for sending this case into us. If you have a case that you want to see on the show, I'm losing it. Sorry. If you have a case that you want to hear on the show you want us to cover, please send us an email. Going west podcastmail.com We have hundreds, if not well over a thousand cases on our list. And we have so many emails that we are still actively, always trying to get to, but they're very appreciated. We love when you guys send case recommendations in. It helps us, but it also helps us understand what you guys want to hear. So if you want to send one in do so. And we will see you on Tuesday.

[Heath]

All right, guys. So for everybody out there in the.

[Daphne]

World, don't be a stranger Sat.