Virginia husband indicted in killing of his wife and another man nearly 1 year after au pair is charged

A Virginia man was indicted in the killing last year of his wife and another man, officials said Monday, nearly a year after the couple’s au pair was charged in connection with the double homicide.

Brendan Banfield, 39, was charged with four counts of aggravated murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the killings of Christine Banfield, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 39, on Feb. 24, 2023, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano told reporters.

Brendan Banfield, who had been living in the suburban Northern Virginia home where his wife and Ryan were found dead, was arrested without incident, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at the news conference.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

New information uncovered by police investigators was “instrumental” in securing the indictment, Descano said without providing additional details.

The Banfields’ au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, was charged in October in Ryan’s killing. It wasn’t clear whether she has entered a plea. Her lawyer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.

Descano said Magalhaes’ trial is expected to begin in November.

Neither Davis nor Descano identified a possible motive in the killings. Davis declined to describe Ryan’s connection to the family.

At the time of the killings, authorities described the scene where Christine Banfield and Ryan were found in Reston, roughly 20 miles west of Washington, as “appalling.” 

Christine Banfield was found fatally stabbed in an upstairs bedroom, the police department said in a news release at the time. Ryan, who had been fatally shot, was discovered nearby, the department said.

Magalhaes dialed 911 on the morning of Feb. 24 and said a friend had been hurt, a police official previously told reporters. Brendan Banfield then took the phone and told a dispatcher that an “unknown male” had entered his home and shot them, the official said, referring to Brendan Banfield only as the victim’s husband.

Brendan Banfield was called to testify at a court hearing this year but mostly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when prosecutors questioned him, NBC Washington reported.