Former Brazilian au pair testified on Wednesday that she decided to cooperate against her former lover, saying she “wanted the truth to come out,” as Brendan Banfield’s aggravated murder trial unfolded in Fairfax, Virginia.
In testimony at trial, Juliana Peres Magalhães said she had kept quiet for more than a year about the 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan and about what she said was Brendan Banfield’s alleged involvement. Her attorneys told the court that days before her own criminal trial, she changed course and began speaking with officials.
Prosecutors are using her testimony as a key part of the case against Banfield, who has pleaded not guilty. If convicted on the aggravated murder charges, Banfield could face life in prison, according to the court proceedings described in the reporting.
According to prosecutors’ account, Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan to their house and then shot him, staging the scene to make it look as if Ryan had been a predator stabbing Christine Banfield. Magalhães testified in court about what she said was the ruse and about the steps prosecutors said were used to manufacture the appearance of a different story.
Magalhães testified that she and Banfield created a social media account in Christine Banfield’s name for people interested in sexual fetishes. She said Ryan connected with the account and that users made plans to meet for a sexual encounter involving a knife.
She also testified that Banfield had planned to kill his wife and spend the rest of his days with her. In her account, Banfield spent months plotting the scheme and took steps she described as manufacturing alibis.
John Carroll, Banfield’s attorney, spent much of Wednesday cross-examining Magalhães, including probing her motives for pleading guilty. Carroll pressed her on details including who created the email address connected to the social media account and where she and Banfield were on the day it had been procured, and Magalhães said she did not remember who made the account or which room in the home they were in.
Carroll also repeatedly questioned her about specific messages said to have been sent on the account in Christine Banfield’s name. Magalhães testified that she was unsure who had sent what, and at one point told Carroll, “I am not going to do this.”
Carroll asked Magalhães to read portions from letters she said she wrote from jail to Banfield and others. She read statements that reflected her mental state, including the line “No strength. No courage. No hope,” according to the testimony described in the reporting.
Magalhães testified that her health in jail and isolation from loved ones pushed her to turn on Banfield. In court, Banfield appeared at times to glance up while Magalhães testified, the reporting said.
Magalhães was initially charged with second-degree murder in Ryan’s killing but has since pleaded guilty to a downgraded manslaughter charge. Her sentencing is scheduled for the conclusion of Banfield’s trial, and attorneys said her punishment could be reduced to the time she has already served depending on her cooperation.
Beyond the aggravated murder charges, Banfield is also charged with child abuse and felony child cruelty connected to the case, which will be addressed during the trial.
This story was first published on Jan. 14, 2026, and corrected on Jan. 30, 2026, to restore the dateline to Fairfax, Virginia, not Richmond, Virginia.