VA - Herndon, Joseph Ryan shot, Christine Banfield stabbed, both deceased, in home - Feb 2023

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Honestly, I think the idea of using a dead man's hand to put their fingerprints on a knife is something out of a bad mystery novel.

In reality, first you'd have to first wipe your own fingerprints off the bloody knife, then wrap the dead man's fingers around it in a convincing way so that his pressure and grip make it seem like he was the killer. His clothes and hands should have blood spatter from the stabbing, so you'd have to fake that in a realistic way. And of course you'd have to wear gloves because if your own fingerprints were on his hands, it would give it away. After setting up the crime scene you'd then dispose gloves so the police don't find them. And remember, there was a child in the house while all this was going on.

To do all that in a way that wouldn't be obvious to the cops is next to impossible. There are a hundred ways it would be obvious that the crime scene was manipulated.
Oh yes, I agree with everything you said. But then again I have a feeling things didn’t go the way they were “meant to“ that day prime example is the delay between 911 calls and why did they need 2 guns to kill a man, especially: why did they need the second gun when the man had already been blinded/incapacitated by the first shot? The whole thing is sloppy and hopefully if mistakes were made, it will bring us closer to the truth.
 
Oh yes, I agree with everything you said. But then again I have a feeling things didn’t go the way they were “meant to“ that day prime example is the delay between 911 calls and why did they need 2 guns to kill a man, especially: why did they need the second gun when the man had already been blinded/incapacitated by the first shot? The whole thing is sloppy and hopefully if mistakes were made, it will bring us closer to the truth.
I think the plan was always to use 2 guns, otherwise why take AP to firing range and purchase the 2nd gun? https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/loca...ting-range-before-reston-murder-witness-says/

I assume BB did not want her to use his service revolver. It wasn't physically necessary to use a second gun but it certainly made her have skin in the game, no? I think he could claim self defense/defense of his wife and without AP's cooperation as to the lure and ruse, may be hard to convict, which may be why he has not been arrested. Much stronger case with her cooperation but she has not taken plea. JMOOO. Joe could not be left alive to testify as to the lure and ruse, incapacitated was not enough for silence.

I respectfully disagree it was sloppy, BB is still free. MOOO. As long as she does not flip on him, seems to have worked out well from his standpoint. RIP Christine and Joe. That all this happened with a young child in the home really heightens the depravity to me. IMHO. Horrible case.
 
I had a hard time getting this to load, even when logging into my WaPo account as prompted (even though it said I could read for free it would get stuck with a subscription screen), so I archived it on archive.org to make it easier for all to read. An au pair, a husband’s affair and a double homicide
Thank you very much for access to this article. It is impossible to understand how Brendan Banfield has not been charged. This article makes clear that every piece of evidence that is being used to prosecute the au pair also applies to him - he admits firing one of the fatal shots, there is proof that the picture of his wife used in the fake profile used to lure Mr. Ryan to his house was sent to him by his wife, he bought a new phone and wiped the history, he left the house for his job but instead sat for 17 minutes at a nearby McDonalds waiting (it appears) for a call from the au pair, and so much more. Not only that he remains working in the federal government (hopefully NOT with his service weapon). I understand the DA might want to flip the au pair (who seems naive and delusional about what is happening to her - she can't wait to "go home") but given the abundant evidence, I can't make sense of it.
 
Thank you very much for access to this article. It is impossible to understand how Brendan Banfield has not been charged. This article makes clear that every piece of evidence that is being used to prosecute the au pair also applies to him - he admits firing one of the fatal shots, there is proof that the picture of his wife used in the fake profile used to lure Mr. Ryan to his house was sent to him by his wife, he bought a new phone and wiped the history, he left the house for his job but instead sat for 17 minutes at a nearby McDonalds waiting (it appears) for a call from the au pair, and so much more. Not only that he remains working in the federal government (hopefully NOT with his service weapon). I understand the DA might want to flip the au pair (who seems naive and delusional about what is happening to her - she can't wait to "go home") but given the abundant evidence, I can't make sense of it.
I think they were waiting to see if they would get her testimony to make the strongest case possible. MOOO.
 
I think they were waiting to see if they would get her testimony to make the strongest case possible. MOOO.
As a criminal defendant it's pretty unlikely she'll take the stand. And even if she does testify, she can still take the Fifth in any prosecution of Brendan, so I'm not sure how it benefits them.

I assume the prosecutors know what they're doing, but based on what we know today, I have a lot of doubts about the way they're handling this case.
 
As a criminal defendant it's pretty unlikely she'll take the stand. And even if she does testify, she can still take the Fifth in any prosecution of Brendan, so I'm not sure how it benefits them.

I assume the prosecutors know what they're doing, but based on what we know today, I have a lot of doubts about the way they're handling this case.
To clarify, meant she would provide evidence in exchange for plea deal re: the plot/scheme/ruse/lure that otherwise they cannot as easily/effectively prove against him. He has the defense of shooting in defense of his wife so I can see why they would want all of the other information, if possible. That was the prosecution plan, clearly. That she has not flipped means it did not work. Per her mom, Brazil and the family are not providing money for legal assistance, see interview with mom upthread. So, presumably Brendan is paying. Is that a conflict re: his lawyer NOT urging her to flip/plead? Maybe and it seems to be going that way. MOOO.
 
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My understanding is it was the grammatical use/spelling, etc that didn't seem like her... not the content. Obviously no one's best friend or mom knows what they sound like in the bedroom.
Is there more information about the fetish site messages and that side of things? Were their profile names or publicly available profile photos from that site ever made public? It seems relatively easy to track a number of things and figure out who really created those profiles.

I'm really curious about this angle and welcome info if anyone can point me toward it. I can't figure out if the wife had a real account and was legit meeting up with this guy (for rough sex or knife play etc.) or if it was a complete catfish by the husband or au pair to set up the other guy. Need more information to understand...

And yeah, nobody on those sites is going to ask someone to come to their FAMILY HOME right off the bat. Maybe if they had a long-established relationship, but certainly not early on. No way.
 
Is there more information about the fetish site messages and that side of things? Were their profile names or publicly available profile photos from that site ever made public? It seems relatively easy to track a number of things and figure out who really created those profiles.

I'm really curious about this angle and welcome info if anyone can point me toward it. I can't figure out if the wife had a real account and was legit meeting up with this guy (for rough sex or knife play etc.) or if it was a complete catfish by the husband or au pair to set up the other guy. Need more information to understand...

And yeah, nobody on those sites is going to ask someone to come to their FAMILY HOME right off the bat. Maybe if they had a long-established relationship, but certainly not early on. No way.
The deceased wife allegedly had a blood clotting disorder so factor knife play in there vs. into a way to get the patsy to bring a weapon, MOOO.

The linked WP article gives more detail re: user names, etc. than has been published elsewhere.
 
The deceased wife allegedly had a blood clotting disorder so factor knife play in there vs. into a way to get the patsy to bring a weapon, MOOO.

The linked WP article gives more detail re: user names, etc. than has been published elsewhere.

Yeah, I don't see it. Doesn't make sense to me that an established member or wide-eyed newbie to kink communities bypasses initial safety stages to immediately engage in high-risk activities at home.

And the double-murder -- whilst using the visitor as a pure prop in the wife's murder. So incredibly cynical and cruel. The au pair isn't game-planning that one IMO.
 
The deceased wife allegedly had a blood clotting disorder so factor knife play in there vs. into a way to get the patsy to bring a weapon, MOOO.

The linked WP article gives more detail re: user names, etc. than has been published elsewhere.
Thank you -- of course the profiles have been fully removed, so there's nothing to see now. ;)
 
From the article: "[Brendan] Banfield, now 39, remains employed at the IRS, a spokesperson for the agency said. He was also working as an Uber driver, though his access to the app has been paused pending the outcome of the investigation, the company said. Since the killings, he has pleaded no contest three times to failing to pay attention behind the wheel, court records show.
Souza [mother of accused Juliana Peres Magalhaes] said Banfield remains in close touch with Magalhães."

I wonder if Brendan Banfield, while living in his million-dollar home, was looking to supplement his income to pay for Magalhaes' attorney?
 
I imagine he will try hard to keep JM onside through the trial. It has worked so very well for him to date. Her cooperation could be devastating to him. MOOO.
 
From the article: "[Brendan] Banfield, now 39, remains employed at the IRS, a spokesperson for the agency said. He was also working as an Uber driver, though his access to the app has been paused pending the outcome of the investigation, the company said. Since the killings, he has pleaded no contest three times to failing to pay attention behind the wheel, court records show.
It is wild that Uber will suspend Banfield, yet he is allowed to continue working as a federal law enforcement agent. I certainly hope they've taken away his firearm and have him only doing grunt work.
 
It is wild that Uber will suspend Banfield, yet he is allowed to continue working as a federal law enforcement agent. I certainly hope they've taken away his firearm and have him only doing grunt work.

Great point, ch_13!
I am absolutely outraged by this case. For 39 years, I lived in Prince William County, Virginia -- a "less well-heeled" neighboring county to the south of Fairfax County, Virginia. So I am following the case closely through Websleuths -- and reading all of the wonderful posts and articles my dear cohorts here are kind enough to share.
I feel confident that there will be another arrest, after Magalhaes goes to trial.
 
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