VERDICT WATCH VA - Joseph Ryan shot, Christine Banfield stabbed, both deceased, in home - Herndon 24 Feb 2023

[Luna20]

Really makes me wonder what he thought sitting there, looking at her testifying. Mustache and all. That's your girlfriend!

I thought the same thing and thought about how embarrassed he would be for everyone to see who he killed his wife for. Particularly for his colleagues who may have looked up to him. His facade was shattered! No more masking.

He probably has less friends and more colleagues. I wish a distant friend would have testified.

 

[Inthedetails]

Some people don't want an age peer, they want a 'daddy'. It's a known thing. An older partner can often come with a degree of financial and social security an age peer hasn't attained yet. That's important to some people. Not just for basic material wealth, but for the comfort of essentially going from a family home (where daddy might be providing) to a home with your partner with all of those comforts (and a new 'daddy').

MOO

How comforting is it to murder two people?

I think she found it sexy that an older man was turned on by her so much he would kill his wife. She played with him by breaking up and getting back together. I think it was a dark fantasy for her, like an addiction to the thrill. I don't think she was looking for comfort at all.

Just my 2¢.

jmo

 

[iamshadow21]

How comforting is it to murder two people?

I think she found it sexy that an older man was turned on by her so much he would kill his wife. She played with him by breaking up and getting back together. I think it was a dark fantasy for her, like an addiction to the thrill. I don't think she was looking for comfort at all.

Just my 2¢.

jmo

I think she found a great degree of satisfaction in it. She wasted no time moving into the master bedroom. She got the guy, the kid, the house, the comfort.

Now she gets to pay for that.

MOO

 

[ryan8901]

CB was so lovely it’s a shame BB and JM stole her from her daughter and friends and family

 

[Weki]

I keep forgetting she moved into the master bedroom after the murders. I am conflicted. She broke up with him prior to the murders and told him she was dating other people etc. During the cross, the prosecutor read those discord messages of him begging to talk to her. So she wasn't completely invested in him at all times. One could argue that he was married and she didn't want to waste her time. Or it could've been a ploy by her to fast track him getting rid of Christine by divorce or death. Clearly, once he told her he would get rid of his wife she was all in and planning a murder and a future with him.

Somehow though I still get the feeling this was skin deep for both of them. Not some deep connection.

 

[ryan8901]

I keep forgetting she moved into the master bedroom after the murders. I am conflicted. She broke up with him prior to the murders and told him she was dating other people etc. During the cross, the prosecutor read those discord messages of him begging to talk to her. So she wasn't completely invested in him at all times. One could argue that he was married and she didn't want to waste her time. Or it could've been a ploy by her to fast track him getting rid of Christine by divorce or death. Clearly, once he told her he would get rid of his wife she was all in and planning a murder and a future with him.

Somehow though I still get the feeling this was skin deep for both of them. Not some deep connection.

I think she was more deeply involved than her testimony would suggest.

 

[Inthedetails]

I think she was more deeply involved than her testimony would suggest.

I do too. And there was no way for BB to turn on her without implicating himself in the process.

jmopinion

 

[mickey2942]

I think she was more deeply involved than her testimony would suggest.

I have always thought that. He doesn't seem quite intelligent enough to plan something this diabolical. JMO.

 

[Megnut]

He could have left CB and V alone (and JR) and danced away to Brazil with JM and had whatever kind of life with her he wanted.

But he didn't want that.

Instead he did exactly what he wanted -- which was to kill a total stranger in order to get away with killing his wife. With the help of his equally heartless mistress.

And that's the heart-warming legacy he's given his young daughter to spend the rest of her life grappling with.

And by 'heart-warming', I mean ice cold and soulless.

JMO

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

I do too. And there was no way for BB to turn on her without implicating himself in the process.

jmopinion

I agree with this sentiment too. I won’t be able to find it now, but IIRC early in this case and the investigation…… there were some revelations about a gun? Right? Or was it two? And IMO with that, how did IIRC JM know where to go find that weapon when summoned to do so? And if there was two, how did she know which one and where? And when? They were BB weapons IIRC?

And I also thought there was some element of whether JM had one of the children that morning? And either left with the child or returned just prior to the slayings? And she returns at the necessary time to commit acts in the slayings.

And with just those two aspects above….. if the case, I remain convinced they both were quite heavily involved in the planning and acts made that day. I just wish the authorities didn’t offer such a deal to JM and so early on IMO.

My recollections might not be entirely accurate at this stage…….. and I won’t be able to find all the details of these thoughts in these threads. Maybe someone following more closely now could help fill in the blanks I leave? MOO

 

[ryan8901]

He could have left CB and V alone (and JR) and danced away to Brazil with JM and had whatever kind of life with her he wanted.

But he didn't want that.

Instead he did exactly what he wanted -- which was to kill a total stranger in order to get away with killing his wife. With the help of his equally heartless mistress.

And that's the heart-warming legacy he's given his young daughter to spend the rest of her life grappling with.

And by 'heart-warming', I mean ice cold and soulless.

JMO

I feel terrible for VB. The body cam footage when the officer goes into the basement and she’s just standing there having no idea what had just happened upstairs breaks my heart. That poor child.

 

[Megnut]

I keep forgetting she moved into the master bedroom after the murders. I am conflicted. She broke up with him prior to the murders and told him she was dating other people etc. During the cross, the prosecutor read those discord messages of him begging to talk to her. So she wasn't completely invested in him at all times. One could argue that he was married and she didn't want to waste her time. Or it could've been a ploy by her to fast track him getting rid of Christine by divorce or death. Clearly, once he told her he would get rid of his wife she was all in and planning a murder and a future with him.

Somehow though I still get the feeling this was skin deep for both of them. Not some deep connection.

'Bout as deep as a bathtub, I figure.

I need that photo excised from my brain yesterday.

 

[Megnut]

I agree with this sentiment too. I won’t be able to find it now, but IIRC early in this case and the investigation…… there were some revelations about a gun? Right? Or was it two? And IMO with that, how did IIRC JM know where to go find that weapon when summoned to do so? And if there was two, how did she know which one and where? And when? They were BB weapons IIRC?

And I also thought there was some element of whether JM had one of the children that morning? And either left with the child or returned just prior to the slayings? And she returns at the necessary time to commit acts in the slayings.

And with just those two aspects above….. if the case, I remain convinced they both were quite heavily involved in the planning and acts made that day. I just wish the authorities didn’t offer such a deal to JM and so early on IMO.

My recollections might not be entirely accurate at this stage…….. and I won’t be able to find all the details of these thoughts in these threads. Maybe someone following more closely now could help fill in the blanks I leave? MOO

Jumping off your post because it's what made me think of it --

He trained JM on how to fire a gun so IMO her with a gun was always part of the plan, though I don't think shooting JR twice was. The first shot just didn't kill him.

JM was NOT in the basement when she called 911 the first time (MOO), she was upstairs with BB and he was the human voice heard on the call, before the groaning.

BB and JM were both in the room. No one announced POLICE. That is ridiculous and IMO BB added it so it would sound like a legal use of his service weapon.

They were both there so they could control and stage the scene IMO. CB, shocked awake by an intruder who didn't know he wasn't invited by her, both CB and JR completely confused, then in fear for their lives. Who knows what all manner of threats BB and JM might have used. Poor CB had to be well aware that VB was somewhere in the house. She had to be terrified beyond all telling.

How do you control two adults with one gun? You don't. You control with two people, two guns.

JR's hand injury may have occurred while fighting against BB.

That one person could think up something so diabolical is hard enough to accept, but that two could, it makes it just that much worse.

JMO

 

[mickey2942]

I agree with this sentiment too. I won’t be able to find it now, but IIRC early in this case and the investigation…… there were some revelations about a gun? Right? Or was it two? And IMO with that, how did IIRC JM know where to go find that weapon when summoned to do so? And if there was two, how did she know which one and where? And when? They were BB weapons IIRC?

And I also thought there was some element of whether JM had one of the children that morning? And either left with the child or returned just prior to the slayings? And she returns at the necessary time to commit acts in the slayings.

And with just those two aspects above….. if the case, I remain convinced they both were quite heavily involved in the planning and acts made that day. I just wish the authorities didn’t offer such a deal to JM and so early on IMO.

My recollections might not be entirely accurate at this stage…….. and I won’t be able to find all the details of these thoughts in these threads. Maybe someone following more closely now could help fill in the blanks I leave? MOO

Maybe the prosecution wanted an airtight, nailed down case. And JM's testimony was the only way to do it.

Sometimes, you choose which devil is worse. Sup with the devil, with a very long spoon. While holding your nose.

I am sure that all "slam dunk" trials, prosecutors still remember Casey Anthony waltzing away from her trial, completely free. And O.J. Simpson. So, sometimes it is better to make a deal than worry about a rogue jury. You just never know...

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

But the world knows he, at one point, bedded a hot young chick. I think he gets satifaction from letting the world know that.

She wanted a green card, otherwise he had to pay for it on a sugar baby site! Sad, like his comb over. Jmoo.

 

[Inthedetails]

Maybe the prosecution wanted an airtight, nailed down case. And JM's testimony was the only way to do it.

Sometimes, you choose which devil is worse. Sup with the devil, with a very long spoon. While holding your nose.

I am sure that all "slam dunk" trials, prosecutors still remember Casey Anthony waltzing away from her trial, completely free. And O.J. Simpson. So, sometimes it is better to make a deal than worry about a rogue jury. You just never know...

I think with Casey Anthony, she was over-charged given the evidence available. They didn't give the jury an out, imo. I don't think BB is overcharged and there is evidence.

With O.J., he had a dream team for defense lawyers. BB does not.

I hear ya with juries being unpredictable, but I'm ..... confident with fingers crossed.

jmo

 

[Vaderman]

Is there a good re-cap/summary article on this case? Everything I've tried picking up on seems incredibly convoluted.

Or are there any friendly members who have a "TL;DR" version they'd be willing to explain?

 

[Inthedetails]

Is there a good re-cap/summary article on this case? Everything I've tried picking up on seems incredibly convoluted.

Or are there any friendly members who have a "TL;DR" version they'd be willing to explain?

Very short version:

A man and an aupair had an affair and plotted to kill the man's wife. To cover the killing of his wife, they arranged for a sexual encounter they pretended the wife arranged for herself - that a man would enter their home and rape her at knife point. Then the aupair and man suprisingly discover the encounter in action and they killed the man by gunshot and stabbed the wife to death (but claiming the sex-encounter man did the stabbing).

jmo

 

[Izzylizzy]

My concern is the elephant that was in the CW's side of the courtroom.
Will any jurors wonder why the CW did not put on a witness(es) to rebut that CB was into S&M?
This has been gnawing at me.

Yesterday's Court TV's reporter who was in the courtroom said that when BB was testifing about CB and S&M that CB's sister who was in the gallery kept shaking her head back and forth.
Why didn't;t she testify for the CW?