Ex-IRS Agent Guilty of Wife and Lured Man's Murders

A jury in Fairfax County, Virginia, has found former IRS law enforcement officer Brendan Banfield guilty of aggravated murder. Banfield was convicted in the 2023 killings of his wife, Christina Banfield, and another man, Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors presented evidence that Banfield, 40, orchestrated an elaborate murder plot with the couple's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, 25, with whom he was having an affair. The plan involved luring Ryan to the home via a fetish website under the pretense of a sexual encounter. Ryan arrived armed, as instructed online. Magalhães testified that she alerted Banfield to an "intruder" before Banfield shot Ryan with his service weapon. Banfield then fatally stabbed his wife multiple times, attempting to frame Ryan.

During the trial, Banfield admitted to shooting Ryan but claimed self-defense, stating he found Ryan attacking his wife. His defense argued Magalhães fabricated the plot to protect herself, noting her plea deal resulted in time served. However, prosecutors contended that digital evidence, forensic findings, and Magalhães' testimony proved Banfield's motive was to be with the au pair and avoid divorce. He faces life in prison without parole, with sentencing scheduled for May 8, 2026. The child endangerment charge stemmed from leaving his then-4-year-old daughter unattended in the basement during the murders.