Au Pair _ Husband_s Affair Leads to Double Homicide_ The Christine Banfield _ Joseph Ryan Case-Part 1

In February 2023, Brendan Banfield planned and carried out the murder of his own wife, Christine, and a stranger, Joseph Ryan, with the help of the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, with whom he was having an affair. The plan: lure Ryan (contacted through a BDSM website) to serve as a scapegoat, making it look like he had broken into the house for a sexual encounter gone wrong. Christine was stabbed and Ryan was shot. Juliana called 911 pretending to have discovered the scene.

Juliana later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and testified against Brendan at trial (which began in January 2026), revealing that the real motive was to avoid a divorce.