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True Crime with Kendall Rae
Au Pair & Husband’s Affair Leads To Double Homicide? The Christine Banfield & Joseph Ryan Case
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- [00:00]
Kendall Ray
Foreign. And welcome back to True Crime with Kendall Ray. Thank you so much for joining me today. And if you're new to the show, then welcome. I'm so happy to have you all here today. So you guys, today's case. Oh, my God. Okay. I started seeing this popping up on my feed over the last couple of months. And when I really looked into the details of this one, let me tell you, my jaw was on the floor. Today we're going to be diving into what we know about an ongoing case has yet to go to trial. I will explain, but we're going to be talking about Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. And you may have heard this referred to in the media or social media as the Aair murders or also the a pair love triangle murders. I've seen a couple different names for it, but it is truly. I can't even put into words. It's just nuts and it's incredibly sad. I mean, these victims and the, the way that they have been smeared or were attempted to be smeared to damage their image, their character has just been so awful. I swear, as long as I have been covering cases, to this day, it never ceases to just blow me away. What some people are willing to do to try and get what they want and how they think they're actually going to get away with it. But oftentimes these people who commit these crimes are stupid and we sort of love that. Right? Because stupid people get caught. And that's what happened here. The reason I wanted to cover it now is because trial was supposed to begin very soon. Unfortunately, it did get pushed back, which I will explain all of that, but I thought it was a good time to go over what we do know so far, which has been sort of limited. I'll explain here and there the things, you know, that we're still missing at this point. And there's also quite a bit of, or I should say a lack of information regarding the victims and who they really were. And I know you guys know that that's really important to me to tell you as much about who they were while they were alive as possible because I think it's just as important as talking about what happened to them in the end of their lives when they were stolen from them. As I just said, we have two victims in today's case and their names are Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. And like I also said, a big part of the plot in their murders were to make them look like bad people who made bad choices and that those choices led to their murders. Which could not be further from the truth. But that is what the intention was. So I guess in some way I wanted to try my best to set the record straight with the information that we do have. I do. Before we go any further, I forgot to mention earlier that everyone in this case at this point is still innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. So we have to keep that in mind. And you will hear me, you know, say things like alleged and allegedly throughout this case. However, I will say the evidence really does speak for itself. But of course there is the presumption of innocence, so I just had to mention that. But anyway, let's get back into talking about our victims, starting with Christine Ann Banfield. Now, she was born as Christine Ann Benson and she was born in September of 1985 and grew up on Long Island. She attended Quinnipiac University from 2003 to 2007 and graduated with a degree in nursing. And then along the way, she ended up meeting a guy named Brendan banfield. And in 2010, the two of them got married. And I wasn't able to pinpoint how the two of them met. And truthfully, I really don't have a lot of insight into their early relationship. And there are definitely some things that I'll share with you later on that would point to there being problems with one of them. But I don't want to come on here and say that the relationship was this or that or try to paint a picture too much because at the end of the day, I just don't know. Especially when it comes to how their relationship was in the early days. What I can tell you though is they had one daughter who Christine loved very, very much. She was actually a pediatric ICU nurse, so caring for kids was quite literally her life's work. She was also a frontline worker during the height of the COVID pandemic. So truly a hero in my book and I loved learning about this. But a patient of hers actually described her as an angel, saying that after waking up from a weeks long coma, Christine was at his side and she even helped shave him and set up a zoom call so that he could speak to his family. And even with that little bit of info that we do have, I do think it paints a picture of someone who was incredibly selfless. Now, when it comes to our second victim in this case, Joseph Ryan, I'm going to hold off on talking about him for a little bit because it will make more sense to speak about him later on when he comes into the case. But I do need to get into telling you more about Brendan Banfield and what was going on in his and Christine's life at the time of her murder. So who is Brendan? Well, in addition to being Christine's husband, he was a federal agent working as a criminal investigative agent for the irs. And I want to heavily emphasize that bit. This man was a federal agent. Now, this was a job he got in 2019. And that same year, he and Christine ended up moving from Long island to Herndon, Virginia. They moved into this beautiful home on Stable Brook Way, and that was ultimately where they were planning to raise their daughter and build their lives together. However, because of how busy they both were with their careers, they decided that it would be beneficial to hire an au pair. Which also just want to point out, I was definitely saying au pair in the start of this episode. So I'm sorry, my bad. It is au pair. Okay. However, I'm sure by this point in the episode, hundreds of people have pointed out my mistake. But that's okay. I do make mistakes. Now, I'm sure a lot of you are already familiar with what an au pair is. I actually didn't really know what they were until I had my daughter and was looking into childcare solutions. And it's a pretty interesting concept and can be very beneficial in most cases. It works out great for a lot of families, but they're essentially a live in nanny. And normally au pairs seem to kind of become part of the family if it's a good match. And typically it's someone who is part of a cultural exchange program. So they get the benefit of coming to a new country, traveling in that sense, and then also getting free housing and a stipend in exchange for childcare and sometimes some household work most of the time, stuff like that. Oftentimes they'll travel with families and everyone kind of builds their au pair experience a little differently. And I'm sure there's some more nuances. And like I said, every situation is different. I've not had an au pair myself, so I'm not too familiar with that world. But from what I've read, it seems like most people have great experiences with their au pairs. And it, I mean, both ways that au pairs have great experiences with the families that they're with. Very often, I'm sure, like I said, sometimes it does not go well like it did in this case.
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Kendall Ray
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- [09:13]
Kendall Ray
But anyway, that is what the Banfield family had signed up for and they ended up getting paired with Juliana Perez Mogulhes, who is a 21 year old Brazilian au pair who they eagerly welcomed into their home. And a friend of Juliana's says that she was especially excited to be paired with the Banfields because she had actually been pursuing nursing herself. So to be paired With Christine, a nurse, was a pretty cool match. You know, she thought they'd have a lot in common, that she could maybe learn something from her. So it seemed to be a great fit for everyone involved. Keyword seemed to be. Now I've also seen it reported that the Banfields already had a Brazilian au pair before and it was hard to really get information on that. So this may not have been their first time and it's possible that they were familiar with how this all works. That being said though, I don't think think anyone, especially Christine, could have predicted how things would end up playing out. Which takes me to February 24, 2023. That morning at 7:49am, a 911 call was placed by Juliana's cell phone to the local police department. However, no report was made. The dispatch officer heard what sounded like moaning and then the call was disconnected. Now as for what happens next, different sources have been reporting different things, which is just the nature of this case and a lot of cases that are still developing. But basically some sources say that there were a few more of these hang up calls and then other sources say that it was just that one. And of course I'm sure that that will all be clarified during trial or potentially before, we don't know. But the main point which is generally agreed upon is that 13 minutes after the first call, the main 911 call was made at 8:02. And this call was also made by Juliana's cell phone. And she was the first person that dispatch spoke to on that call. And it's been reported that she was pretty hysterical and hard to understand, but she ended up saying something along the lines of a friend was hurt. However, right after that, Brendan apparently took the phone and said something much more alarming. He told dispatch that he had shot a man because he found him in his house stabbing his wife. And when first responders got to the scene, appalling is the word that has been mostly used to describe what they saw inside the Banfield's house. 37 year old Christine was found in an upstairs bedroom naked, with just her socks on and numerous stab wounds to her upper body, near an unnamed man. She was alive at this point, but she was in critical condition. And then later that evening, I'm sad to say that she was pronounced dead after life saving measures were unable to save her. Now as for this unnamed man who was unnamed at the time, he was found deceased with two gunshot wounds, one to his chest and another to his head. And sadly there was no opportunity to try and save him. Because he was pronounced dead at the scene. And this victim was identified as 39 year old Springfield resident Joseph Ryan. Now, unfortunately, information about his life was even more difficult to find. But I did find something that I wanted to share that came from his mom. His mom, Deirdre Fisher, who says that she loved him so much, told a local news station, quote, 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. And personally, I think that says a lot about a man when they have a great relationship with their mother. And then there was also a friend of Joseph's who spoke to the media that said something that I think also speaks a lot about who Joseph was. He described him as, quote, the kind of person who took in dogs that had no chance of being adopted and just loved the hell out of them. And as a dog lover myself, as I'm sure many of you are as well, I just loved hearing that little detail about him. And personally, I think people who really love animals, and especially taken rescues and foster animals, are just very special humans. That aside, though, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering who he is in relation to this crime. How did he end up involved? How did he end up dead at the Banfield home? Because according to Brendan, this was the guy that he walked in on in his home stabbing his wife to death. But is that really the truth? While law enforcement, they would tell you, no, it's not. Now, from the get go, they had a very weird feeling about this whole scene. I mean, it was just one of those doesn't look right, doesn't smell right, doesn't sound right situations all around. Just right off the bat, there were several things about Brendan and Juliana's stories that were not adding up. And for starters, and this is a big one, there were no signs of forced entry. And if Joseph was an intruder, which was one of their initial theories, you would expect some sign of a break in. Now, of course, investigators do have to consider that it's possible that they had just left the doors unlocked. So there wouldn't have been a sign of forced entry. But the house in general just seemed to be in totally fine condition. So that was one of their first sort of red flags, is that this did not look like a typical home invasion. And then second of all, Brendan seemed to have no concern about Christine's condition, but he kept asking about Joseph's. That's Right. He didn't really seem to have much interest in how his wife was doing. But instead, literally, while paramedics are there in front of him performing life saving measures on his wife, Brendan was asking if Joseph still had a pulse. Now to, you know, give the benefit of the doubt a little, I guess you could say, and this is before we get into everything else, where the benefit of the doubt just kind of goes out the window. But I guess you could say that, you know, he did admit to shooting this guy right away. So I could see why he would have an interest in if he was alive or not. Doesn't explain why he wasn't curious about his wife's condition. But also it makes me think, and I'm sure that this is the case, I'm sure a lot of you are thinking this as well, that he was very concerned about if Joseph was going to survive or not, because Joseph would be able to be a witness in the case and would have known what actually happened at the scene that day. But I think the biggest red flag here, the most bizarre thing that law enforcement noted was the very strange story that they were being told that just didn't really make a whole lot of sense. First off, when officers were initially entering the house, Juliana was asked who shot who? And she said, brendan, who is the shooter?
- [16:15]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
Who shot who?
- [16:17]
Brendan Banfield
Brendan, he's an officer.
- [16:18]
Kendall Ray
I got a block kid if you need it. Now maybe this wasn't the right moment for her to go into her whole spiel about what happened. But based on what she would end up saying later that morning, it was really interesting that in that moment she only mentioned that Brendan was the shooter because the truth is they both shot Joseph. But according to her own story, which she told later that evening at the police station, she explained that around 7:30am she and the Banfield's daughter left the house with the intention of going to the zoo. And sources say that Christine was the one to purchase their tickets that morning. So simple enough, right? Going to the zoo. Nanny au pair takes children child to the zoo. Very, very common. When I was a nanny, I would take the kids eye nanny to the zoo. I feel like at least once a week. And I take my daughter to the zoo all the time. So very normal situation. And then when leaving the house, she had forgotten the lunches that she had packed her and the Banfield's daughter in the fridge, which is also very common. I feel like every parent or caregiver forgets the lunch at home or something at home at least once. But when her Recollection of the morning starts becoming strange is what she said next, which was that when she pulled back up to the house, she saw a car that she didn't recognize in the driveway. And so some sources have reported this, and I'm not entirely sure, I mean, at this point in this case, but some sources are reporting that she also witnessed a man that she didn't recognize entering the house and carrying a bag. And this was concerning to her, of course. So she decided to call Christine and supposedly be like, who is this guy? Because maybe it was a maintenance worker or something like that. She wanted to make sure it was someone who was supposed to be at the house. Right. Again, somewhat normal. Now, she knew that Christine was still at home at the time, but apparently Christine didn't answer the phone, so she called Brendan, who she knew had already left for work. He had left the house around 7:11am and he had told detectives that he decided to make a quick stop at his local Mickey D's for an Egg McMuffin. And McDonald's is where his cell phone location data placed him. So we know that he did go there. And I will be getting back to that, but for now, just know that that's where he was. But anyway, Juliana calls him, he picks up, and she wants to ask him OB about this supposed strange car slash man situation. And unlike Christine, Brendan picks up the call, came in at 7:37am and he drove straight home, where he met Juliana and his daughter outside of the house. And then after that, the three of them entered through the back door and into the basement. Now, I'm pretty sure that most of you are having the exact same thought process as me right now and wanting to scream. Because this makes no sense, especially if you are a parent. Why on earth, if you thought an intruder was potentially in your home, would you bring your child inside to check it out with you? Okay, no one would do that. No one in their right mind would do that. Unless they're stupid, quite frankly. And maybe that's the case here. Or it's just that he knew there wasn't an actual intruder. Second thing, also, why would you bring in your au pair? There's no reason for them to go in with you. Why wouldn't you just leave the au pair with your child in the car where it's safe, and go check out the scene yourself? Better yet, why wouldn't you just call the police and have them go check it out for you? And obviously there's some urgency if your wife is inside the home and you Think there's a potential intruder. So, like, I get that to some degree, but with his time having to drive from the McDonald's back home, he could have easily called law enforcement. So not making a whole lot of sense here in any way. But anyway, according to their story, the three of them are in the basement, but then Brendan leaves Juliana and his daughter to go upstairs and, quote, investigate. Pretty quickly, though, Juliana says she went upstairs to see what was going on, and that's when she heard Brendan screaming. Police drop the knife. Apparently, he had gone up to his bedroom to find this man, Joseph, holding a knife to his wife's neck. And Joseph supposedly told Brendan that he was going to kill Christine. And that's when he began to repeatedly stab her right in front of him. And again, I can't emphasize says this enough. This is the story according to Brendan and Juliana. Now, let's give them the benefit of the doubt here, since we don't have all the facts and they're innocent until proven guilty, and we can say that maybe this portion of their story was believable. Potentially. Of course, someone could have broken into the house and held a knife to his wife's neck. Is it possible? Sure. Is it probable? Probably not. However, the next part of their story, I simply cannot give the benefit of the doubt to at all because it is so outlandish, so ridiculous that it makes any part of their story that could be true just totally lose credibility, I guess. I have to say that's just my opinion, though. But according to Juliana, when this man began stabbing Christine, Brendan pulled out his service weapon. Remember, he is a federal agent. And he proceeded to shoot him in the head. Here's the part that makes no sense, though. Apparently, after shooting him once, Brendan told Juliana to run into the bathroom and grab a second gun from a locked safe, which he gave her the code to. And when she came back into the room, she says that she shot Joseph. This time the chest. But the question here is, why did she have to shoot him at all? She would go on to say that she did it in self defense of the family. But does that make any sense? If Brendan still had a gun in his hands, why didn't he shoot Joseph a second time if he was still posing a threat to Christine? I mean, keep in mind, he had shot him the first time in the head, and I feel that would be enough to stop him from stabbing Christine. So why would Juliana then have to go into the bathroom, unlock a safe, grab another gun, and then shoot him again in the chest? It just doesn't add up at all. Now, a report from the New York Times says that her lawyers later claimed she was just acting on orders from her employer. But acting on orders only shifts the blame. It doesn't explain why there needed to be a second gun at all. Also, I don't want to just breeze past the fact that the first shot was fired using Brendan's service weapon. Okay? So because he's a member of law enforcement, he will have an administrative officer involved shooting investigation that will take place as well. And he's going to have to explain why his service weapon was used in that murder in the first place. Now, I learned that he won't have to be Mirandized for this, which wasn't really elaborated on, but I found that piece to be incredibly interesting. And I also found it interesting and quite strange that Brendan said that he shot Joseph on the 911 call. All. He never said we. Or even mentioned that Juliana was part of it at all. And I guess you could argue that in the heat of the moment, he just said what first came to mind. So maybe it's not something to read into. But in the scheme of things and how this is all shaking out, I think we can all agree that that is pretty strange. Now, I thought it would be helpful for you guys to hear some of Juliana's story right from her mouth. So we do have some body cam footage that I want to play for you now, if you just want to.
- [24:01]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
Tell me quickly what happened, if.
- [24:02]
Brendan Banfield
I don't really know what happened. Everything happen. I was going to take her to this zoo this morning.
- [24:08]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
Can you go with Officer Batani really quick? He has some stickers for you.
- [24:13]
Brendan Banfield
I was going to take her to the zoo this morning, and then I forgot the lunch we were gonna bring. I turned around, it came right here. And then I saw this car.
- [24:30]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
You don't know who that. Do you know who the person is?
- [24:32]
Brendan Banfield
I have no idea. And then also his car. Called her to see what's going on. Because early in the morning like. 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. Can I please come in here? I'm scared. I was just baller in the car and then he. He. He came. Came here and then we went inside. The guy, I don't know who it is. He was spanking hair doing. I was just here.
- [25:09]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
Were you here when it happened or did you walk up in there?
- [25:11]
Brendan Banfield
And yeah, he went upstairs first and then I went to see what is going on. I left in the basement and then when I went upstairs, Brendan was saying honors to drop the. Drop the knife. Drop the knife. And it was because they were yelling each other. He was saying like drop the.
- [25:35]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
Oh, the knife or the gun?
- [25:38]
Brendan Banfield
The gun. And Brennan said, no, police, drop the knife. And he would say, I'm gonna kill her. I'm gonna kill her. And I don't know, he started stabbing her. I think Brendan shot him and he asked me how to shot him too, because.
- [25:57]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
It's okay, you don't have to get it all out right now.
- [25:59]
Brendan Banfield
I never saw him photo before.
- [26:00]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
Like you didn't see the girl before either? So the guy and the girl, you don't know.
- [26:04]
Brendan Banfield
She's my boss.
- [26:05]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
Okay.
- [26:08]
Brendan Banfield
I never seen you before. Like, it's a lot of fun.
- [26:13]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
Okay.
- [26:13]
Kendall Ray
I'm very curious to hear what you guys think about that footage, about her demeanor, about what she said. Let me know your thoughts now. Upstairs at the scene, officers ended up finding a set of cleanly cut pajamas, a bag containing fetish accessories, which will make more sense in a little two guns as well as the knife. And downstairs they found the Banfield's four year old daughter. And all the reports out there say thankfully she was found unharmed. And of course, yes, physically unharmed. However, emotionally, mentally unharmed, obviously not the case. She lost her mom that day. And at this point, I don't think it'll be a surprise to you guys that her father was involved. So she lost him too. Not right away, but eventually. And of course we don't know how the trial is going to play out, but chances are she will lose her father through all of this as well. She was brought into the station that morning alongside Juliana, where both of them made statements. And while the police aren't sharing much information about their daughter, they have said that she is safe and in good care now. But the fact that this is her reality as. As a four year old, it's so heartbreaking. It makes me so angry that if Brendan really did this to her mother, that is the most heartless thing. I don't understand how as a parent you could do that. And I know I bring this up in cases all the time where one spouse kills the other spouse and there's a child involved or multiple children involved. How evil can you be to take the parent of. Of your child or children away from them? And this is totally just my opinion, but I don't even think that's possible if you actually Love your child, if you really do have love for your child, but are willing to hurt them in that way by taking away their parent, their other parent, I don't think you ever love them to begin with. I really don't. My heart just absolutely breaks for her. And I hope that what we're hearing is true, that she's getting the best care and support possible during this time. I cannot even imagine at that age having to wrap your mind around all of this. And hopefully she's being shielded from it to some degree. But of course, as she gets older, she will understand more of it with time. So it's just so up. There's no words. But even though nothing at the end of the day is going to bring her mom back, hopefully getting justice and the truth will be a positive step forward in her healing. And luckily, I really do think justice is on the horizon. I mean, we never know how these are to go. But like I said earlier, I think the evidence here really speaks for itself. Now, from the jump, like I said, law enforcement was very wary of that story. But in all honesty, they didn't have any proof that Brendan and Juliana were lying, at least not at first. So from that point forward, they needed to kick off an investigation to either prove or disprove what they'd been told. And that meant figuring out who this man in the home was and why he was at the Banfield's house so early, early that morning. And I'll just cut right to the chase here. As part of their investigation, digital evidence was collected from the Banfield's home. And on Christine's computer, they found that someone, keyword someone, had created a profile on the website FetLife. I had never heard of this website, but I learned it's a social networking website for the BDSM kink and fetish community. And the profile's username was Anastasia9. And it featured a photo of Christine wearing a bathing suit. Now, this photo of her in a bathing suit just so happened to be a photo that she had sent Brendan. And then what gets very strange here is that Brendan had then sent the photo to Juliana, who then emailed it to herself. Okay, in what world, for what reason, would you ever need to send a photo of your wife in a bathing suit to your au pair? You just don't. Anyway, though, when investigators started going through all the data from her computer, they Learned that this Anastasia 9 person had been communicating with a profile tied to Joseph Ryan. Then they found messages on an encrypted messaging app where the two of them had been discussing meeting up to, you know, live out these fantasies that they were talking about, specifically fantasies involving knife and blood play. Now, these are sexual acts that involve the consensual use of a knife for physical and mental stimulation, as well as the. The consensual drawing of blood. So based on these messages, it looked like Joseph and Christine had set up a date to have this kind of consensual sexual interaction. And that date was scheduled for February 24, 2023. So you can see the setup here. This would have been the same morning that Juliana was supposed to take their daughter to the zoo and Brendan would be at work. And maybe Christine had planned this little secret rendezvous at home. But if you're thinking critically here and you all the information that we have gone through just thus far in this episode, you know that this is a clear setup. Allegedly, I have to say. And to law enforcement, they did not think that Christine was behind this account at all. They believe that someone posed as her and then lured Joseph to her house under false pretenses in order to frame him for her murder. How insane is that? Not to mention that through their investigation, they found not one single shred of evidence that Christine was at all into bdsm, knife play or anything that had been found on that FetLife profile. All of their friends and family would say the same, that it just didn't sound like her. In fact, one message said that her marriage wasn't entirely monogamous and that she, quote, cheats on her husband whenever she wants to. But anyone that knew her would tell you that that is absolutely not the case, and they would be shocked if that were at all true in any way foreign. So if none of this is true and someone really is posing as Christine on this FetLife website, then who was Joseph talking to? Well, according to an article from People magazine, Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Eric Clingan says that Brendan allegedly created the profile and he began the communication with Joseph. Joseph. I know. Big shocker, right? Then, days before the murders, Brendan told Juliana to call Joseph, posing as Christine, to confirm the details of what they were planning to do. And the plan was to use restraints and then cut off her clothing during violent role play. So allegedly, it was both of them. And if all of that is true, poor Joseph went over to the Banfield's house thinking that he was going to be engaging in consensual activity. And then he would have run into Christine in the house at some point assumably, and she had no idea who he was or why he was there or what he was doing. The whole thing was a total setup for both of them. And to understand why Brendan and Juliana would want to do something like this, we've got to go over what investigators believe is the motive, which I am sure you can guess.
- [33:38]
Sponsor
Guess?
- [33:38]
Kendall Ray
I'll let you take a wild guess right now. Yeah. It was an affair. These two sickos, Brendan and Juliana, are said to have started an affair in August of 2022. And for the next several months, they allegedly concocted this sick plot to get rid of Christine so that they could be together. And another element to this, beyond the fact that they murdered the two of them, is the fact that they were willing to completely tarnish their reputations in the process. These two were willing to let the world believe very damaging things about these two innocent victims. For Christine, they were going to let the world think that she got herself killed as a result of her infidelity and sexual fantasies, which she didn't even have. And I want to be clear. There's no shame in these sexual fantasies, and definitely not trying to king shame or anything like that. But when it's not true and it's made up, I mean, it's tarnishing your reputation. It's not the truth. And for Joseph, they were going to let the world think that he was some crazy sexual sadist who took things too far and actually killed someone when he thought he was just engaging in this consensual activity. In reality, we don't know exactly what happened over there, but there's a good chance that Joseph went into the home and started to act out the role play that he thought they consensually agreed to. To. I just can't imagine how. Oh, picturing how this played out is so upsetting. And even if what he was into is not your cup of tea, it doesn't matter. I mean, there's nothing wrong with what he liked, especially because he liked something that was consensual and believed that that's exactly what he was doing. And sources also say that Joseph really did not hide his sexual preferences from those who knew him. And the fact that these two tried to paint him as some sexually motivated killer, it just wasn't who he was at all. It's so sick. And for what? Because these two selfish losers just wanted to be together and thought this was the best way to do so. God, it pisses me off. So between February when Joseph and Christine were killed, and October when the first arrest was made, they worked diligently during that time to Build a case. Now, obviously, I'm pretty sure we're gonna get a much clearer picture. In fact, I'm very sure we'll get a much clearer picture during trial. And let me know if you guys are interested in additional coverage on this case when the trial happens in October, unless it gets delayed again. Not totally sure there, but anyway, during that time, they believe that Juliana and Brendan plotted these murders to be together and strategically coordinated communication with Joseph to lure him to their home and make it look like he killed Christine. And then they killed him in an effort to protect her. And thankfully, as I just mentioned, in October, there was an arrest. One arrest. But this was October 13, 2023. And interestingly, it was actually 23 year old Juliana who they got first. She was arrested for the second degree murder of Joseph Ryan, as well as the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Because it was her gunshot. The one to his chest. Chest. That resulted in his death. And even though at this point, investigators already had evidence of an affair, when they went back to the home to arrest her, they found even more. And God, these two, they're so stupid. They weren't even trying to hide it, because back in February when the murders occurred, obviously, they took pictures of the entire home, including the guest room that Juliana was staying in. And when they took those photos, which I will have on screen if you are watching this episode, you can see that her bedroom had clothes in the closet, like someone had been living in that room. But in October, when they went back to arrest her, her stuff had been moved out of that closet. And I'm sure you can guess where they were now. That's right. The primary bedroom, the master bedroom. She was already bunked up with Brenton. And not only that, her lingerie was laid out across Brendan's bed. And if you think these two cannot get any dumber, turns out they can, because there was a framed photo of the two of them on their bedside table. It hadn't even been a year since Christine was killed, and the two of them were already shacked up together and not even trying to hide it. I mean, you think they would be smart enough to kind of try to keep that under wraps. But no, they're leaving lingerie out, the photos next to the bed. I mean, you cannot make these things up. It's unbelievable that people would be this stupid and this evil, quite frankly, especially Brendan. This is your wife. This is the mother of your child. Child. She hasn't even been gone for a year. And it was your fault. Allegedly. Allegedly. Allegedly. It's hard to say that he had just really moved on with his life as if nothing happened. And so did Juliana. Not only that, investigators also found suggestive texts between the two, as well as a photo of them on a romantic trip to New York, which had taken place before the murders occurred. Mind you, Juliana did try to say initially that they were not romantically involved. Solved. Did these two really expect anyone to believe that in the eight months since your wife was brutally murdered in your own home, when you're supposed to be grieving, that the two of you just start hooking up? Absolutely not. No one buys it. And it doesn't matter if anyone buys it, because at the end of the day, the evidence proves that they were together before any of this was even planned or executed. But one thing Juliana I'm sure didn't plan for was going to prison. But what was interesting and frustrating to the public at this point point was only Juliana was arrested, and her arrest only mentioned the murder of Joseph. And that's because at this point, investigators weren't saying who they thought killed Christine. And to my understanding, this is because they were still running tests to figure out who stabbed her. And obviously, like anyone with a brain, they had a pretty good feeling that it wasn't Joseph who did it. But they wanted to be absolutely certain, of course. So from that October through most of 2024, Brendan was, technically speaking, a free man. And he was living at home. His mom was staying there, and he was raising his daughter. But he certainly was not off the hook, because behind the scenes, investigators were monitoring his communications with Juliana while she was in jail. And one phone call in particular sparked. Sparked their attention. In that call, Juliana said, and I quote, I hope you are not just staying with me because you are afraid of me turning against you. To which Brendan allegedly responded to her saying, keep your mouth shut. So that certainly doesn't scream innocent, but, of course, innocent is what she said she was. For over a year, Juliana said that she did not do what they were accusing her of, and during this time, her family stood by her side. They said that she never would have done something like this and had hopes that she would be released from custody. Her bond, however, thankfully, was repeatedly denied. And In April of 2024, more information came out that would solidify her place behind bars. During a preliminary hearing in the beginning of that month, prosecutors dropped a massive bombshell. And that was. It turns out that two months before the murders occurred, occurred. The two of them, Brendan and Juliana, had gone to the shooting range together. And it gets worse, because on January 28th, Brendan went back to that shooting range and purchased the same Glock that he and Juliana had practiced shooting with. And prosecutors brought receipts, quite literally. They use the serial number on the receipt from his purchase and matched it to a gun recovered at the scene. They also revealed that days before the murder, Juliana and Brendan both got new cell phones. But when Brendan was asked about any of this, he pleaded the Fifth. I mean, he pretty much did this on every question they asked him. He had been subpoenaed to testify during this hearing, but he said a whole lot of nothing. He wouldn't even say whether or not he was married to Christine on the day that she was murdered. I mean, I get not wanting to incriminate yourself, but not to not answer that. I mean, dude, come on. Thankfully, though, with or without out Brandon's testimony, the judge ruled that there was enough evidence to move forward with the case against Juliana. So later that month, she was officially indicted. And only hours after that, Joseph's mom said, and I quote, I want people to remember Joe for the good natured, loving man he was, for the man who loved his family. He loved other people. He was socially aware. He was a kind person. Another big sentiment that his mom shared with the public was that her son wasn't a violent person. She made it a point that you don't just wake up after 39 years and suddenly decide to become a killer. In her mind, in the mind of most of the public and the mind of the prosecutors, he was lured and framed. But like I said, when it comes to the public and their perception of everything, especially in the earlier days, like early to mid 2024, there was a lot of confusion about what the truth really was. I mean, obviously with Juliana's arrest, people were expecting Brandon to be arrested, too. But months and months were, and there was no word about what was going on with that. And it was especially confusing because no one at this point had been charged with Christine's murder. And like I said, the reason it took so long is because, of course, they wanted to be 100% certain that their theory matched the evidence. I mean, they have one shot at this. And that theory was that Brendan stabbed his wife and then staged the scene to make it look like Joseph did it. And then forensic tests came back in August of 2024 that proved. Proved exactly that. Expert blood spatter analysis helped investigators finally prove that both bodies had been moved and repositioned after being wounded and that Joseph's arms were moved and smeared with Christine's blood. And of course, this report was critical in making their arrest, which finally did come on September 16th. That day, Brendan Banfield was officially, finally arrested and charged with four counts of aggravated murder and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
- [44:10]
Prosecutor
Today, I'm pleased to announce that due to the hard work of police and prosecutors, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office has secured an indictment against Brandon Banfield for the murder of his wife Christine and the murder of Mr. Ryan. Fairfax county police officers took Brendan Banfield into custody, and he's been brought to the same adult detention center where Juliana Perez Magalies has been since last year when she was arrested for the murder of Mr. Ryan. The great investigative work of the Fairfax County Police Department led us to new information which was instrumental in securing today's indictment that charges Brendan Banfield with aggravated murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. I'm extremely grateful to FCPD for their continuing efforts in this case, as well as the efforts of Deputy Commonwealth's Attorneys Kelsey Gill and Eric Clingan, who've worked tirelessly with their counterparts in the Fairfax County County Police Department.
- [45:02]
Kendall Ray
Now, when it comes to specific evidence against these two, I've only been able to share some of it with you. We obviously know about the affair and the blood spatter analysis, but things like their text messages and computer searches have not been shared publicly. I cannot imagine what we will learn when all of that comes out, which I'm pretty sure it will. We should be getting the full scoop on all of that during the trial, but for right now, a lot of information is being kept quiet and. And it's likely for the best. So if you feel like there's gaps and things that don't fully make sense, you're not alone. I feel the same way. I'm still totally confused, but that's just how it goes when looking into cases before they actually go to trial, especially with limited information like this. But there's a reason they have to keep it that way. And honestly, piecing this case together and trying to understand and prepare for this episode was pretty difficult and confusing. But overall, I think the big picture here, here is pretty clear. And that big picture is Brendan was cheating on his wife. And together, he and Juliana conspired to murder her and frame an innocent man. But what's wild, however, not surprising really at all, is that Juliana was not the first woman that Brendan apparently had cheated on his wife with. One woman that he was seeing has actually come forward and said that Brendan used to talk about how life would be easier if his wife wasn't around. And I just have to say, for being a federal. Federal agent, Brendan is a massive idiot. I mean, I understand that working for the IRS is a little different than Ming, say, an FBI agent, but it's pretty wild how sloppy and stupid he was throughout all of this. Allegedly, of course. But let's get to the bond, the plea, and the trial. So, good news when it comes to his bond, it was denied, just like Juliana's. It was ruled that he had to stay behind bars until his trial. And right now, that is scheduled to begin in October of 2020 25. Prosecutors argued that Brendan was a flight risk, pointing out that he lived near three major airports and that he had been learning Portuguese, suggesting that he might have been preparing for a life in Brazil. In fact, a Washington Post article reported that the two of them had plans to go to Brazil in October of 2020, three months after the murders. Meaning these two dummies really thought they were going to get away with this and then jet off to Brazil. Or they thought, hey, if they start catching on to us, we can just go to Brazil and hide. Either way, just dumb. And it turns out Brennan even got Juliana a second passport because her original passport had been seized on the day of the murders, which, of course, looks very suspicious, very shady, and absolutely warrants him not being granted bail. However, the defense said that he absolutely should be granted it so that he can take care of his daughter. The same daughter that he allowed to be in the basement while he allegedly murdered her mother. Okay, make that make sense. So I'm very glad that his bail was denied. And same with Juliana, who, get this. Ended up taking a plea deal right before her trial. Her trial was initially scheduled for November of 2024, but on October 29, she ended up accepting a deal. The attorney has said that the information leading to this agreement can't be made public because Brendan is still going to trial. But we do know that in return for pleading guilty, cooperating with authorities, and testifying against Brendan, prosecutors agreed to reduce her charge from second degree murder to involuntary manslaughter and drop the firearm related charge. There's also talk about her being released with credit for time served after she testifies against Brendan. And since his trial has been postponed, I'm guessing that her sentencing hearing will be postponed as well. Right now, as of the day I am recording this episode, her hearing is scheduled for March 21. And it was supposed to be after Brendan's trial, but now that his trial is in October of 2025. I'll have to keep my eyes out and see if her hearing is adjusted as well. But based on her charges, she is facing up to 10 years, so I'm interested to see how that all ends up playing out.
- [49:08]
News Reporter
Just yesterday, Juliana Perez Michael, has told prosecutors that she and Brendan Banfield, that husband, used a fetish website to lure a stranger to the couple's Herndon home back in February of last year. Prosecutors say the man hired thought he was there for a consensual sexual encounter with Banfield's wife, Christine.
- [49:28]
Juliana Perez Magalhes
According to the au pair's testimony, the man was supposed to tie down Christine Banfield and use a knife to cut off her clothing. Christine had no idea about the plot. Yesterday, the au pair testified that she and Brendan Banfield interrupted the act that they set. The au pair says Banfield shot the man they allegedly hired and then stabbed his wife to death. She says the man was still alive, so she also shot and killed him. As part of yesterday's agreement, the au pair pleaded guilty to a downgraded charge of manslaughter.
- [50:05]
News Reporter
Attorneys for Malgohay say that she will testify against Brendan Banfield at his murder trial. In exchange, they're seeking credit for time sacred served, and they want her released at the end of the trial.
- [50:17]
Kendall Ray
Now, in her confession, Juliana has said that even though she was part of the plan, she didn't think that Brendan would actually follow through with it. ABC 7 reports that according to the plea agreement, there were many points where she didn't want to move forward with the plan. But the problem with that is, I think we can agree here, right, is that she did move forward with it. I think making that whole argument of, I didn't think he was actually going to do it, I really didn't want to, is just such a massive slap in the face to these victims and their families. I mean, she had countless opportunities to go to the police at any time and report what Brendan was involving her in, report what they were planning to do, and she just didn't. So I don't really understand how that can be an excuse at all. And I don't care where she's from. Murder is universally wrong. And this is why plea agreements are so tricky. And I get so frustrated because obviously they're very necessary. Necessary. It's going to be important to help put Brendan away, especially if he was truly the. The main mastermind behind it all. And that testimony is going to be crucial. But it's just so frustrating. What at the end of the day, she just gets to walk away with less. Even though she was part of it all from the beginning. She literally shot and killed an innocent man who they were trying to frame and was going to just move on and marry this man, Brendan. Or I guess I don't know if they were gonna get married, but she was. They were together and trying to move on with their lives after these two were murdered. Just. It's so evil. And to think that she will get a lesser sentence after all of that. It's just mind boggling. Again, I get why. I'm sure you can all agree with me, it's just frustrating, right? But I really do hope that her testimony will be crucial in getting Brendan put away for a very, very long time. She is going to be able to speak on certain things that will definitely be crucial in understanding what actually happened, including the McDon stop and the 2911 calls. And just the overall planning for it, how it actually happened since she was there. And let's talk about that McDonald's stop for a second, because earlier I said that Brandon's phone placed him at McDonald's when Juliana called him to come to the home that morning. That call was at 7:30, 7am but it's been reported that he needed to be at work at 7:30. And because of that, it's believed that he may have been purposely waiting there to get a call from her to come home. So she should be able to speak more about why he was in the McDonald's parking lot for so long. And then there's those 911 calls. I mentioned earlier that the reporting here is a bit funky, that there's conflicting reports when it comes to the 911- CALL or 911-CRILLS. Not really sure how many there were, but we do know that at least that initial 911 call, the dispatcher hears moaning and then the call ended, and then 13 minutes later, the main 911 call was made. Now, personally, I can't say exactly what that initial 911 call was about. The moaning one. I don't know if it was on purpose or not. And maybe Juliana will be able to explain that in more detail. However, I will say it has been suggested that the delay in these calls could have been when Brendan was staging the scene. As we know, part of the reason he was arrested was because they found evidence that the bodies had been removed. So I'm definitely curious to see what Juliana will say about this. Who was the one moaning? I mean, I'm guessing it was probably Christine Considering she was still alive at that point, which is just. God, it's so horrible to think about what she must have been going through. I mean, how painful and how, how confused she must have been. God, it's just so evil. And then I'm also really curious to see what she will have to say about the fetish website. And I mean, based on what I told you, you guys, it's, I'm guessing that she's probably going to try and turn it all on Brendan. And I mean, after all, he did tell another woman that he was having an affair with that things would be easier if his wife wasn't around. Allegedly. Now, obviously if you ask me, and I'm sure most of you, if not all of you agree with me, that all signs here are pointing to guilty, allegedly. That's just my opinion. Of course he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But here's another little interesting detail that has come out about Brendan. Okay, so this came from a recorded jail call where he reportedly said the nanny can't keep her goddamn mouth shut. And obviously you don't just say those types of things unless you've got something to hide. So I think karma is going to come for him big time. And I do really feel confident that prosecutors are doing everything that they can to build their case up as strongly as possible. And in December of this past past year, very recently, they ended up adding some additional charges to the ones that he is already facing, including felony child abuse and neglect as well as felony child cruelty. Now, specific details on those charges haven't been shared, but we do know that's related to what happened on the day of the murders. And if he did do what he's accused of doing, I think that those child related charges are more than fair and I'm very happy to see those brought forward. I just have such a hard time wrapping my head around, around how any parent could bring their child knowingly into a situation like that. I mean, that's just pure evil. But I guess maybe I shouldn't be shocked because if he's willing to kill two innocent people, one being his wife, the mother of his child, and one being someone he doesn't even know, then I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he doesn't give a damn about his daughter's well being. So I am very curious and also very anxious to see, see how this trial ends up playing out. I hope that it's not delayed any sooner and that justice is around the corner kind of, I mean, I guess We've got some time to wait, but hopefully it's not much longer than we have to wait at this point. And I. Oh my gosh. I hope that he is found guilty. Like I said earlier, I'm pretty confident that that will be the case. But you never. You just never know how these things are going to play out. So it definitely makes me nervous. I did mention earlier that at this point they aren't saying much about how their daughter is doing other than she's okay and in the care of loved ones. So I'm happy to hear that. And I have seen it reported that Christine's parents are in the process of getting custody of her. And if anyone deserves to have custody of this poor child, it's them. And I hope, and I'm confident again that that will be the case. I mean, it should be. I don't see why it wouldn't. I really wish I had more answers in this case, more of a resolution for you all. You know, I wish justice was already here, but like I said, it should be coming soon. Let's all hope at least. But I definitely want to hear your thoughts on this one, so let me know below. And I'm definitely curious if you would be interested in some trial coverage as well, because I certainly would like to do that. And let's just all hope, as hard as we can cross our fingers and toes, that there will be justice for Christine and Joseph because they definitely deserve it. And I'm just so sorry for their loved ones, their friends and family. Family. Just a such an unnecessary tragedy that must have been so hard for all of them to wrap their minds around, especially the two of them as they were going through it. I mean, imagine how confused, like I said, how confused they must have been in those moments. And scared. It's so horrific. Did one of them have to watch the other? Just. God, it's so horrible. I'll never understand how evil people can be. It just. I don't know. No matter how long I've been doing this, it just continually blows me away. That is going to be it for me today, guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode and make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel, which will be linked or you can just search Kendall Rae. I will be back with another episode soon, but until then, stay safe out there.