A Virginia man accused of conspiring with his au pair to murder his wife and another man has now been charged with felony child abuse and neglect, as new evidence emerges in the case.
Brendan Banfield, 39, was already facing four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife, Christine Banfield, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 38, in February 2023 at the couple's Herndon home. Prosecutors say the couple's 4-year-old daughter was present in the house during the killings, prompting the new child-related charges.
Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano announced Monday that the charges reflect "the events that occurred in the house on that day," though he did not specify the nature of the evidence that led to the additional counts, WTOP reported.
According to investigators, Banfield conspired with the family's au pair, 24-year-old Juliana Peres Magalhães, to kill his wife. Prosecutors allege that a fetish website was used to lure Ryan to the home under the guise of engaging in consensual rough sex, with the intention of blaming Christine Banfield's murder on Ryan and claiming Ryan's murder was self-defense.
During their investigation, law enforcement found evidence of an affair between Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhães, and learned the two had visited a gun range together, followed by Banfield purchasing a gun.
Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Ryan's killing and awaits sentencing in March. She has admitted to assisting Banfield, whose trial is set to begin on February 3.
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