Virginia husband indicted for double homicide of wife and friend

In February 2023, a tragic double homicide occurred in Herndon, Virginia, resulting in the deaths of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Brendan Banfield, Christine's husband, was indicted on four counts of aggravated murder nearly a year after the incident. The case gained attention when the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with Ryan's death. Magalhães is set to stand trial in November 2023. On the day of the killings, Magalhães made multiple 911 calls but ended them prematurely before finally reporting the emergency. When authorities arrived, they discovered Ryan had been shot and Christine had suffered stab wounds, later succumbing to her injuries in the hospital. Magalhães claimed that she and Brendan had left Christine alone at home, and upon their return, they found Ryan threatening Christine with a knife. Magalhães alleged that Ryan stabbed Christine, prompting Brendan to shoot Ryan. She also claimed to have fired a shot at Ryan with a second firearm. However, prosecutors have raised doubts about her account, noting that Ryan was not known to be violent and questioning the nature of the relationship between Brendan and Magalhães, which reportedly developed prior to the murders. Brendan Banfield is currently being held without bail at the Fairfax County jail, and the authorities are pursuing both cases, indicating that the investigation into the events surrounding the double homicide remains ongoing. The complexities of the relationships involved and the circumstances of the crime continue to unfold as the legal proceedings progress.