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

[Tortoise]

I've been looking back over the medical examiner's evidence, on day 1.

I think the Commonwealth missed a major piece of evidence.

Q. Is the chest wound an entry wound or an exit wound?
A. An entrance wound.
Q. And how do we know this?
A. It is round, has an abrasion and a bullet was recovered from the body.
Q. In relation to where the entry wound is located, can you tell us where and how the bullet traveled after it entered Joe's chest?
A. The bullet injures the skin, soft tissue and muscle, the rib cage, the pericardium, which is the sac that the heart resides in, the heart, the aorta, which is a major blood vessel coming off of the heart, and the outside of the esophagus, which is the food tube to the stomach, and the T8 spine. The bullet traveled from left to right, front to back, AND UPWARD.

4.09.47

Now I know Juliana is short, but she's not one-inch tall. Joe Ryan wasn't on his feet, whatever movement he was able to make, he was down after the shot to his head. An upward trajectory shot means he was shot when he was lying on his back. That is not manslaughter or self-defense, it's an execution shot.

There is no way Brendan Banfield allowed Juliana to shoot Joe Ryan, after one go at target practice, not at close range, while he was kneeling over Christine and Joe was lying down behind him. No way Jose. I believe he either fired both shots, and used both guns, or he moved out of the vicinity of Christine completely to allow Juliana to shoot.

MOO

 

[turaj]

I really want to see the look on his face at a Guilty verdict and think it will be today. Going to stick around as I don't want to miss it. There is a lot of evidence and even if they agree I think they will take some time to go thru it. Early afternoon after lunch?

 

[jeff2034]

Totally agree - it wasn't just a husband tired of his wife. He wanted to humiliate and hurt Christine both physically and emotionally in her dying moments. He wanted his side-chick to be there for it and he used his daughter in the plot (and exposed her to the violence even if she was downstairs).

Sicko.

jmo

I was trying to figure out in BB's mind why February 24? Why not earlier or later? While looking back on the discord messages between BB and JM, on February 13 JM sent this massage to BB:

Just thinking, maybe it’s not worth all of this. All of this stress for both of us. Maybe I should find someone like me, there are a lot of people out there in the same situation as me, about many things. Someone that I can be with at all times, for everything. Not a lot of work to be with. Not a lot of stress, anxiety. For both of us. I don’t want to “destroy†your life. Don’t want to risk everything you already have. You have no idea how I feel many times, and like today, pictures with Valerie to send to her, videos, etc,. This is just an example. But it’s not easy. And it’s getting harder. You have everything you need/ want. Don’t waste your time with me, nobody here, I don’t have anything, not even family.

When she says "not worth all of this" I assume she means the all the planning to set up a scene where a stranger would come to the house to kill CB.
To me it is clear that JM is having second thoughts about the relationship especially regarding having to sneak around behind CB's back. She was tired of it and wanted to move on. As infatuated as BB was with JM as evidenced by his love letters, he knew that the only way to keep JM was either divorcing CB or killing her. He chose the latter.

 

[Inthedetails]

I was trying to figure out in BB's mind why February 24? Why not earlier or later? While looking back on the discord messages between BB and JM, on February 13 JM sent this massage to BB:

Just thinking, maybe it’s not worth all of this. All of this stress for both of us. Maybe I should find someone like me, there are a lot of people out there in the same situation as me, about many things. Someone that I can be with at all times, for everything. Not a lot of work to be with. Not a lot of stress, anxiety. For both of us. I don’t want to “destroy†your life. Don’t want to risk everything you already have. You have no idea how I feel many times, and like today, pictures with Valerie to send to her, videos, etc,. This is just an example. But it’s not easy. And it’s getting harder. You have everything you need/ want. Don’t waste your time with me, nobody here, I don’t have anything, not even family.

When she says "not worth all of this" I assume she means the all the planning to set up a scene where a stranger would come to the house to kill CB.
To me it is clear that JM is having second thoughts about the relationship especially regarding having to sneak around behind CB's back. She was tired of it and wanted to move on. As infatuated as BB was with JM as evidenced by his love letters, he knew that the only way to keep JM was either divorcing CB or killing her. He chose the latter.

I think JM played games and was dramatic for drama sake. She toyed with BB and liked the ebb and flow of being easy for him and then requiring him to chase her, imo. I think the drama gave the relationship intensity and that's what she liked. (And he liked the ego trip of sex with a young partner and he had disdain for his wife.)

My unqualified assessment of the two of them.

jmo

 

[jeff2034]

I've been looking back over the medical examiner's evidence, on day 1.

I think the Commonwealth missed a major piece of evidence.

Q. Is the chest wound an entry wound or an exit wound?
A. An entrance wound.
Q. And how do we know this?
A. It is round, has an abrasion and a bullet was recovered from the body.
Q. In relation to where the entry wound is located, can you tell us where and how the bullet traveled after it entered Joe's chest?
A. The bullet injures the skin, soft tissue and muscle, the rib cage, the pericardium, which is the sac that the heart resides in, the heart, the aorta, which is a major blood vessel coming off of the heart, and the outside of the esophagus, which is the food tube to the stomach, and the T8 spine. The bullet traveled from left to right, front to back, AND UPWARD.

4.09.47

Now I know Juliana is short, but she's not one-inch tall. Joe Ryan wasn't on his feet, whatever movement he was able to make, he was down after the shot to his head. An upward trajectory shot means he was shot when he was lying on his back. That is not manslaughter or self-defense, it's an execution shot.

There is no way Brendan Banfield allowed Juliana to shoot Joe Ryan, after one go at target practice, not at close range, while he was kneeling over Christine and Joe was lying down behind him. No way Jose. I believe he either fired both shots, and used both guns, or he moved out of the vicinity of Christine completely to allow Juliana to shoot.

MOO

I believe when the ME says upward, they mean from "feet to head" So if JR was laying on his back, a shot from a person standing almost has to be upward if the feet are towrd the shooter. I agree there was no reason to shoot JR a second time, especially when BB had handcuffs on him and could have easily applied those. BB even said as much when asked by the CW. Unfortuantely, the shot to the head was likely fatal anyway according to the ME.
And if BB truly fired both shots, why would JM not say that instead of Implicating herself by saying she fired the second shot? To me that doesn't make much sense. I agree it is careless to have JM shoot JR when BB and CB are in such close proximity but there are a lot of things that BB did in this whole situation that were careless. I believe in BB's mind his desire to implicate JM (by having her shoot JR) and hopefully preventing her from turning on him in the future outweighed the risks of her missing JR and hitting BB.

 

[Megnut]

I'd like to see a WS forum where people could ask us advice.

Should I sleep with the father of the kid I'm nannying? No.

Should I sleep with the nanny? No, but if you're seriously interested, get a divorce first.

Should I answer a fetish ad for someone I never met: No. (Not blaming JR for his death, but wish we could've stopped him from going to the house that day.)

We could prevent many tragedies.

"Should I leave me cell phone at home?"

No, YOU should stay home.

(Unless the crime you're planning is AT home, then leave right now. Don't do it. )

 

[Megnut]

I was trying to figure out in BB's mind why February 24? Why not earlier or later? While looking back on the discord messages between BB and JM, on February 13 JM sent this massage to BB:

Just thinking, maybe it’s not worth all of this. All of this stress for both of us. Maybe I should find someone like me, there are a lot of people out there in the same situation as me, about many things. Someone that I can be with at all times, for everything. Not a lot of work to be with. Not a lot of stress, anxiety. For both of us. I don’t want to “destroy†your life. Don’t want to risk everything you already have. You have no idea how I feel many times, and like today, pictures with Valerie to send to her, videos, etc,. This is just an example. But it’s not easy. And it’s getting harder. You have everything you need/ want. Don’t waste your time with me, nobody here, I don’t have anything, not even family.

When she says "not worth all of this" I assume she means the all the planning to set up a scene where a stranger would come to the house to kill CB.
To me it is clear that JM is having second thoughts about the relationship especially regarding having to sneak around behind CB's back. She was tired of it and wanted to move on. As infatuated as BB was with JM as evidenced by his love letters, he knew that the only way to keep JM was either divorcing CB or killing her. He chose the latter.

....either divorcing CB or killing her....

He didn't think there'd be a Door #3. Prison doors.

Counting on the jury to find him guilty as hell.

JMO

 

[jeff2034]

I think JM played games and was dramatic for drama sake. She toyed with BB and liked the ebb and flow of being easy for him and then requiring him to chase her, imo. I think the drama gave the relationship intensity and that's what she liked. (And he liked the ego trip of sex with a young partner and he had disdain for his wife.)

My unqualified assessment of the two of them.

jmo

I agree that there were games being played on both sides and they both seemed very dramatic. I can see a young female being dramatic, but a 40 year old man? Something about JM clicked for BB - either having a young woman be interested in him physically, paying attention to him and doting on him (which he likely wasn't getting in his marriage) etc. Probably both.

 

[Inthedetails]

I agree that there were games being played on both sides and they both seemed very dramatic. I can see a young female being dramatic, but a 40 year old man? Something about JM clicked for BB - either having a young woman be interested in him physically, paying attention to him and doting on him (which he likely wasn't getting in his marriage) etc. Probably both.

I don't think he was into the drama - she was.

He was into the sex and hurting his wife.

Neither cared about the daughter, imo.

jmo

 

[Tortoise]

I believe when the ME says upward, they mean from "feet to head" So if JR was laying on his back, a shot from a person standing almost has to be upward if the feet are towrd the shooter.

RSBM

Exactly. Joe was lying on his back when he was shot the second time. No threat. It should have been used to contradict Brendan's version.

 

[jeff2034]

....either divorcing CB or killing her....

He didn't think there'd be a Door #3. Prison doors.

Counting on the jury to find him guilty as hell.

JMO

Yes... wouldn't divorce and having less money be infinitely better than spending the rest of your life in prison (assuming he's found guilty)? You would still have:
JM (although I think she would eventually leave them for something better),
Be able to see your daughter grow up
Something called your freedom

But with his arrogance and narcissism I believe he thought he could get away with it. Hopefully later today we will find out that he didn't.

 

[ttjo]

I was trying to figure out in BB's mind why February 24? Why not earlier or later? While looking back on the discord messages between BB and JM, on February 13 JM sent this massage to BB:

Christines parents were supposed to be coming the next day ( heard on the bodycam while BB was in the ambulance) IDK if that had anything to do with it?

Just thinking, maybe it’s not worth all of this. All of this stress for both of us. Maybe I should find someone like me, there are a lot of people out there in the same situation as me, about many things. Someone that I can be with at all times, for everything. Not a lot of work to be with. Not a lot of stress, anxiety. For both of us. I don’t want to “destroy†your life. Don’t want to risk everything you already have. You have no idea how I feel many times, and like today, pictures with Valerie to send to her, videos, etc,. This is just an example. But it’s not easy. And it’s getting harder. You have everything you need/ want. Don’t waste your time with me, nobody here, I don’t have anything, not even family.

When she says "not worth all of this" I assume she means the all the planning to set up a scene where a stranger would come to the house to kill CB.
To me it is clear that JM is having second thoughts about the relationship especially regarding having to sneak around behind CB's back. She was tired of it and wanted to move on. As infatuated as BB was with JM as evidenced by his love letters, he knew that the only way to keep JM was either divorcing CB or killing her. He chose the latter.

Maybe I am jaded so FWIW :
I see this as such manipulation, some weird reverse psychology ploy.
I do feel like she was having second thoughts “ not worth all of this “ but more because it was too risky for her, was it worth it for her?
All the sneakin around to try to see eachother was difficult, maybe she should find someone else who’s more available “ all the time. Not a lot to of work to be with, ( by telling him that she doesnt want, shes telling him what she does want, (head game like an ultimatum)
Then she goes on to talk about the guilt she feels like today sending pics with Valerie. Why would she feel guilty about sending Christine pics? Unless she was aware of what was to come , kind of implicates herself, she was part of the planning.
No mention of any guilt about sleeping with Christine’s husband? And being a homewrecker, I mean she should know right? She has nobody not even a family….. booo hooo. What a conniving witch.
I DO NOT. See her as someone who was manipulated into a plan by bb, I see her as co captain, she played a lot of head games that encouraged this end.
They are the same, they both write dramatic letters to eachother and play head games to achieve their end, isnt that how affairs are, sneaking around you get this false sense of fufillmemnt because its forbidden and both blinded by passion they fail to see the outcome in its reality.

 

[ttjo]

That’s what I was told here. I thought about Christine saying to BB, he has a knife. If she had arranged the hookup, I don’t think she would have said that. Violence to a safe degree was part of the arrangement, so she wouldn’t have been real concerned about a visual aid. I have no experience with Fet life but I was told that guns, handcuffs, ropes, various knives, medical equipment, etc are not unusual in this lifestyle.

No kidding or she would have been concerned when he emailed /texted her that he made a spreading stick or spreading bar the day before. She ( well BB) didnt even ask what it was? And its exactly as it sounds. You tie your hands (or feet) to each end . Whatever you want to spread. It leaves the person essentially helpless.
Not that I would know I just googled it

 

[jeff2034]

I'd like to see a WS forum where people could ask us advice.

Should I sleep with the father of the kid I'm nannying? No.

Should I sleep with the nanny? No, but if you're seriously interested, get a divorce first.

Should I answer a fetish ad for someone I never met: No. (Not blaming JR for his death, but wish we could've stopped him from going to the house that day.)

We could prevent many tragedies.

The problem is, most people know what the correct and right answers are to these questions, but they act anyway. JM I'm sure "knew" that sleeping with the father of the child you are nannying was wrong, and I'm sure BB knew that killing two people was wrong but they did it anyway. Figuring out WHY people do things that they know are wrong is the tough part.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

The problem is, most people know what the correct and right answers are to these questions, but they act anyway. JM I'm sure "knew" that sleeping with the father of the child you are nannying was wrong, and I'm sure BB knew that killing two people was wrong but they did it anyway. Figuring out WHY people do things that they know are wrong is the tough part.

This 100%. People don't always act in their long-term self-interest, especially when they're chasing something internally. "It's worth it," they tell themselves, while burning their relationships to the ground.

 

[jeff2034]

I'm starting to get worried why it's taking so long....

 

[ttjo]

....either divorcing CB or killing her....

He didn't think there'd be a Door #3. Prison doors.

Counting on the jury to find him guilty as hell.

JMO

Doesn’t this just say it all, blood all over his hands