Au Pair Thought She’d Walk Free. Judge Gave Her 10 Years
Juliana Peres Magalhaes testifies during the double murder trial for Brendan Banfield in Fairfax County Circuit Court, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner, Pool)
A Brazilian au pair involved in a complex double murder case in Virginia could have avoided a long prison term under a plea deal, but a judge on Friday instead imposed the maximum sentence of 10 years. Juliana Peres Magalhaes had agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, but Fairfax County Chief Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate refused the recommended leniency.
“Let’s make this clear: you are only entitled to imprisonment and a lifetime to reflect on the harm you caused to the victims and their family,” Azcarate said. “May this burden weigh heavily on your conscience.”
Magalhaes admitted assisting her employer and lover, Brendan Banfield, in planning the deaths of his wife, Christine Banfield, and a stranger, Joseph Ryan, in 2023, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors said the pair created a fake profile for Christine on an adult website to lure Ryan to the home under false pretenses. Magalhaes testified that Banfield stabbed his wife to death and then shot Ryan after he arrived. The scheme was intended to make it appear that Ryan had killed Christine. Magalhaes also said she fired at Ryan while he was still moving on the floor.
Originally facing a second-degree murder charge, Magalhaes pleaded guilty to manslaughter last fall in return for her cooperation. Prosecutors and her attorney had recommended a sentence of time served, but Judge Azcarate rejected the deal. Her lawyer told NBC News that with credit for time already served and good behavior, Magalhaes will likely spend just over four more years behind bars. Brendan Banfield, who was convicted of aggravated murder, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8 and will face life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Washington Post.
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