Va. Man Accused of Killing Wife and Man Nearly a Year After Accusation Against His Au Pair

A Virginia man has been indicted in connection with the 2023 killings of his wife and an unrelated man, nearly a year after the married couple’s au pair was accused of one of the slayings.

Brendan Banfield, 39, was indicted by a Fairfax County grand jury on four charges of aggravated murder and one charge for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office said in a press release shared on Monday, Sept. 16. He's expected to be arraigned on Thursday, Sept. 19. PEOPLE couldn't immediately identify an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Prosecutors said Banfield allegedly stabbed his wife, Christine Banfield, 37, and shot a man named Joseph Ryan, 38, on Feb. 24, 2023 at the married couple’s Herndon, Va., home. The charges also come nearly a year after the husband and wife’s live-in au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 24, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and a firearm offense in connection with Ryan’s shooting death, according to the prosecutor’s office.

That morning, at about 8 a.m., authorities responded to the home after a 911 call made by Peres Magalhaes. She allegedly told police “a friend of hers was hurt,” before a man, who police said was Banfield’s husband, got on the line, PEOPLE previously reported.

Inside the home, police said they found Christine, a mother and pediatric nurse, suffering from upper-body stab wounds and Ryan, suffering from gunshot wounds nearby.

Christine was brought to a hospital where she was pronounced dead while Ryan was declared dead at the scene.

Police previously said they saw no signs of a break-in and said they don’t know why Ryan was in the house that morning, only saying he was “known” to Christine.

According to NBC Washington, police said the au pair said she and Christine’s husband were out that morning and when she returned to the home, she saw a car she didn’t recognize. She in turn called the husband, who came to the house. 

Nearly seven months after the killings, in October 2023, Peres Magalhaes, a native of Brazil, was arrested on accusations she fatally shot Ryan. Prosecutors said she has remained in custody since her arrest. Online court records show her criminal trial is expected to start on Nov. 11.

Peres Magalhaes’ attorneys have previously claimed that she shot Ryan in self-defense, according to reports. They also claimed that the husband told her to shoot the man, WUSA reported.

NBC reported detectives have said the au pair and the husband had previously said Ryan was attacking Christine, which led to the husband firing at Ryan.

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No charges had been filed in connection with Christine’s death until now. According to the prosecutor's office, the aggravated murder charge filed against Brendan carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole, while the firearm offense carries a mandatory minimum of three years behind bars.

“Early last year, a double murder devastated two families and shocked our entire community,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in the release. “I will ensure that my office puts forward the strongest case possible at trial, and that we continue to seek justice for the victims and their families.”

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