Domestic Violence and Family Courts

Former IRS officer Brendan Banfield was found guilty by a Fairfax County jury of murdering his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan and convicted of child endangerment after prosecutors say he and au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães impersonated his wife on a sexual‑fetish website to lure Ryan as a "fall guy" and stage the killings to look like an intruder attack. Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter and testified under a cooperation deal while prosecutors cited blood‑spatter and other forensic evidence; the defense attacked her credibility and pointed to internal police disputes over digital‑forensic findings — Banfield’s sentencing is set for May 8.