Reports indicate that a man from Virginia turned to BDSM dating sites and got an accomplice to help him kill his wife, leading to a tragic outcome.
Juliana Perez Magalhaes, a 24-year-old Brazilian au pair, told prosecutors that Brendan Banfield, 39, opted to murder his wife, Christine Banfield, rather than go through a divorce during a recent steamy encounter.
“I asked him, ‘Are you going to divorce her?’” Magalhaes recounted. “He replied, ‘That’s not what I’m thinking.’ He mentioned wanting to figure out how to eliminate her.”
Magalhaes began her relationship with Banfield after becoming their au pair around a year ago.
Dressed in a dark gray jumpsuit and accompanied by her lawyer, she described how Banfield created a fake profile on Fetlife.com, a BDSM site. He impersonated his wife, seeking out a man to carry out violent fantasies at their Fairfax County home.
According to investigators, Joseph Ryan, 39, was misled into believing he was chatting with Christine but was instead communicating with either Brendan or Magalhaes.
“It began when I started speaking to Joe, where he wanted to sound aggressive and take on a dominant role,” she noted, referring to Banfield’s interests on the platform.
Ryan was invited to their home on February 24, 2023, where he allegedly murdered Christine while Banfield and Magalhaes executed a staged attack with a knife nearby.
“We had played this game before. If someone entered the room acting scary, she might resist, thinking it was all part of the act,” she explained.
This elaborate ruse seemingly provided the couple the chance to execute their plan and turn against Ryan. Reports say Banfield shot Ryan, injuring him, but it was Magalhaes who delivered the fatal shot with another gun she brought into the home.
The duo reportedly delayed calling 911 for about ten minutes.
The au pair indicated that the scheme had been months in the making, with Banfield taking measures—like soundproofing windows—before the murder, to muffle any screams.
“I went outside while he went to the bedroom, and he started screaming to see if anyone outside could hear,” she recalled.
“And?” asked Eric Klingan, a lawyer in Fairfax County.
“I didn’t hear much,” she replied.
Magalhaes had pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year related to the double murder.
Brendan Banfield’s trial is set for October, after which Magalhaes will be sentenced.
