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

[LifeIsAMystery]

Thank you.
So she did want to stay and as long as CB was alive a student visa was all that was available to her to do so.

She had a visa through Oct as an au pair, Christine alive or not. He did not marry her to extend her stay, even after killing Christine. She was arrested in Oct in part to keep her in country and in part to put pressure on her. She had extended once as an au pair and that was the limit, Christine alive or not.

 

[ttjo]

BB wasn’t cooperating with the police so I think the first time the prosecution became aware of the supposed work meeting was when he testified. Therefore it’s at least possible that when his coworkers were interviewed they weren’t asked about a meeting nor would they have mentioned it on their own because it didn’t actually exist.

And no one asked him about his routine? You said you normally leave by 730, that day you left early…why?
The fact that a fetish guy was there at the crack of dawn didnt strike them as odd? Or to ask about it?

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Above premiers at 2pm today. I could not listen to all of her testimony in real time and am very curious about this set of exhibits.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

And no one asked him about his routine? You said you normally leave by 730, that day you left early…why?
The fact that a fetish guy was there at the crack of dawn didnt strike them as odd? Or to ask about it?

He said he left early for a work meeting. Then his former supervisor testified he was lying about it and that none of Banfield’s supervisors were even in VA that day.

 

[ttjo]

He said he left early for a work meeting. Then his former supervisor testified he was lying about it and that none of Banfield’s supervisors were even in VA that day.

But not until after right?

BB wasn’t cooperating with the police so I think the first time the prosecution became aware of the supposed work meeting was when he testified. Therefore it’s at least possible that when his coworkers were interviewed they weren’t asked about a meeting nor would they have mentioned it on their own because it didn’t actually exist.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Fairfax County doesn't have an unlimited amount of money and lawyers to try this case. But it does strike me as odd that with the few murders they have each year that they put on such a lean prosecution. But I also think there's probably a fine line between having a 4-6 week trial that brings out every person even remotely associated with the case and doing a lean trial that hits all the necessary evidence. At some point, you bury the jury in minutia that doesn't matter.

I guess we'll know soon enough if it was too lean.

Couldn't they have done a temp hire/loan from a neighboring district for another attorney especially in a case like this that's involving 2 murders, 2 defendants and a prosecutor who was pulled off the case?

I think if there are any jurors more in BB's corner due to their not believing/liking JM that there's enough evidence from BB's own actions and in-actions to convince them of his guilt.
imo

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

But not until after right?

He made the claim about a meeting that day for the first time on the stand. Then his acting supervisor heard it, came forward and refuted it. No one knew about his false claim until he slipped it into testimony. No one could refute a false negative until then. Mooo. Detectives had spoken to co-workers. None of them said anything about a meeting that was not scheduled, obv.

 

[Izzylizzy]

He said he left early for a work meeting. Then his former supervisor testified he was lying about it and that none of Banfield’s supervisors were even in VA that day.

I was watching for a reaction from BB when Sands said T.Patrick Smith and saw none.
She did say that he would testify to rebut BB's testimony from yesterday.
At that point the court wasn't told he was BB's IRS superior but BB knew it and now I wonder if he knew what was coming?
imo

 

[Serononin]

By other jurisdictions i meant outside the US. The longstanding strict interpretation of the right to silence in the US effectively prevents local state law reform IIRC.

One of the main drivers of reform in the commonwealth was to prevent defendants from making up alibis years later at trial.

Yeah, here in the UK the rights a person is read when they're arrested include, "you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court"

 

[Lawnguylander1964]

Couldn't they have done a temp hire/loan from a neighboring district for another attorney especially in a case like this that's involving 2 murders, 2 defendants and a prosecutor who was pulled off the case?

I think if there are any jurors more in BB's corner due to their not believing/liking JM that there's enough evidence from BB's own actions and in-actions to convince them of his guilt.
imo

I know the counties share resources, especially Federal resources since we are so close to DC. But it's more equipment than manpower in most cases. One would think with a high profile case like this that they would do whatever it took to guarantee a conviction. But a lot of that is more political than anything else.

 

[Kellygirl2013]

Above premiers at 2pm today. I could not listen to all of her testimony in real time and am very curious about this set of exhibits.

All the allowable exhibits are up on the Fairfax county circuit court website under high profile cases. After reading his letters to her, I think I’ve changed my earlier stance and believe he was head over heels for her…….still reading them now.
ETA, his handwriting is atrocious, like a little kids writing.