A young Brazilian nanny has confessed to her involvement in the tragic deaths of a man and a woman who were lured to her residence, describing the double homicide as part of a twisted scheme. Juliana Peres Magalhaes, aged 23, made a disturbing admission during a recorded interview in October 2024, revealing details of the BDSM-influenced plan she alleges was devised with her supposed former romantic partner Brendan Banfield, aged 39.
The disclosed interview, acquired by NBC4, outlines the sequence of events leading up to the fatalities of Joseph Ryan and Banfield’s spouse Christine. Christine was discovered critically injured after being stabbed at her house on February 24, 2023, subsequently succumbing to her injuries in the hospital. Meanwhile, Ryan, a practitioner of mixed martial arts, was found deceased nearby with gunshot wounds to his head and chest.
Initially, investigators were misled to believe that Ryan was a trespasser who had assaulted Mrs. Banfield. However, the real truth was later unveiled to be far more sinister. Prosecutors assert that Peres Magalhaes and Banfield, a former official from the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal division, initiated an affair after she moved into the residence he shared with his wife and their then four-year-old child.
Peres Magalhaes informed prosecutors that Banfield had expressed a desire to eliminate his wife around October 2022, indicating a sinister motive beyond divorce. Prosecutors claim that months before the tragic events unfolded, Banfield set up a profile on FetLife.com, a bondage website, and established contact with Ryan, who had an interest in live-action role-playing.
According to Peres Magalhaes, they utilized Christine’s work computer to search for a willing participant in a preconceived rape fantasy scenario. Banfield sought an individual who matched his violent preferences, leading him to engage with Joe. Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Clingan stated that Banfield enticed Ryan to their home on the fateful morning, under the guise of a consensual sexual encounter involving restraints and violent role-playing with Christine.
Prosecutors allege that Banfield equipped Peres Magalhaes with a firearm and instructions to call Christine’s phone upon Ryan’s arrival, after which he was to be contacted. Banfield waited at a nearby McDonald’s until summoned. Peres Magalhaes reportedly indicated that Christine was asleep when Ryan arrived, believing it to be part of a staged scenario where she would appear frightened and resist.
Banfield then returned from the McDonald’s, shooting Ryan in the head and stabbing his wife, as per prosecutors’ claims. Peres Magalhaes, as per Clingan, observed Ryan’s movement and fired the fatal shot, subsequently reporting the incident as though Ryan had attacked Christine.
In October 2023, when authorities returned to the Banfield residence to apprehend Peres Magalhaes, they found her residing in the master bedroom where Mrs. Banfield was fatally wounded eight months earlier. Evidence presented during the hearing included her belongings in the closet and scattered lingerie across the bed, alongside a framed picture of the two individuals on the bedside table.
Prosecutors disclosed that the pair had practiced shooting at a gun range two months before the tragic event, with Banfield later purchasing the Glock firearm used by Magalhaes in the shooting. In October 2023, Peres Magalhaes faced charges of second-degree murder and firearm use in connection with Ryan’s death, ultimately pleading guilty to manslaughter in October 2024.
Banfield was indicted in September 2024 by a Fairfax County grand jury on multiple counts related to the homicides. His trial is scheduled for October 2025. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend Peres Magalhaes’ release with credit for time served post-Banfield’s trial, contingent on her continued cooperation.
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