Brendan Banfield Sentenced Friday In Fairfax ‘Au Pair Affair’ Murders

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent convicted of killing his wife and another man in a plot involving his former au pair lover, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole or sentencing credits Friday morning in Fairfax County Circuit Court.

Banfield was convicted in February of two counts of aggravated murder, one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and one count of child endangerment in the Feb. 24, 2023, deaths of Christine Banfield, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 39, at the Banfield family’s home in Reston’s Hattontown neighborhood.

In imposing the sentence, Chief Judge Penney Azcarate said she'd only seen this type of behavior twice previously in her courtroom.

"Two individuals that carried no remorse calculated and planned their violent crimes and left many victims and devastation in their path," she said. "As I listen to the evidence in this case and listen to your testimony, it is apparent that I am once again looking at that same kind of evil."

Azcarate continued, "The disregard of the life of your wife, someone you supposedly loved, is almost unfathomable. Scheming for months, a master plan involving so many moving parts, including deception and manipulation, luring a completely innocent man into your deadly trap, continuing on after the murders without a care, and not once thinking of the impact on Christine's daughter, the unspoken, tragic victim of your behavior."

Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Jenna Sands asked Azcarate to impose the harshest sentence possible.

“There is nothing that can lessen their devastation. Nothing we can do or say will bring Joe and Christine back to their families," she said. "This sentencing ends the in-court process, but it is not an end to anyone's grief. For all of these reasons, I am asking you to impose every minute of active incarceration that the law requires and that the law allows. The sun should never shine on Mr. Banfield's skin as a free man again.”

Before Friday’s sentencing, family members of the murdered victims had an opportunity to speak directly to Banfield to express how the killings and subsequent trial impacted their lives.

“Christine dedicated herself to her daughter, who will grieve her loss at every milestone in her life,” said Danielle Hocker, Christine Banfield’s sister. “I will be there never to replace my sister, but to tell Valerie, remind her of her big laugh and even bigger heart. I will tell Valerie how much she was loved by her mother. I will forever carry both the grief of losing her too soon and the gratitude of having loved her for 37 years and being loved by her in return. That bond will not end, because we will always be sisters.”

Sangeeta Ryan, Joseph Ryan’s aunt, testified that the crimes were no accident, but rather a calculated and deliberate decision by Brendan Banfield to evade responsibility and distort the truth.

"Today we take back Joe and Christine's memory from the lies, from the manipulation, and from the man who thought he could control their story, even after taking their lives," she added. "He no longer controls anything. We leave here with our heads high, not in silence but with purpose. We will honor Joe and Christine by living with the same kindness and love that they gave so freely.”

During a post-hearing news conference, Fairfax Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said the sentence imposed was appropriate in this case.

"We brought that charge because aggravated murder, regardless of whether it was a death penalty case or whether it was mandatory life in prison, is the most severe charge in our statute code book," he said. "It's the most severe charge you can bring in Virginia, and this was a case where the most severe charge was warranted."

Descano pointed to Judge Azcarate's comments about Banfield's apparent lack of remorse and his efforts, even minutes before he was sentenced, in refusing to take responsibility for his actions.

"That same character that you saw when he took the stand in his own defense a few months ago came out again here today," he said. "A guy who pointed a finger at everybody other than himself, a guy who tried to outsmart the system, but in the final analysis, he did what he did. He was convicted. Now he has to pay."

Banfield's sentencing hearing comes one day after Azcarate denied a motion by his attorneys to set aside the verdict,

Banfield’s sentencing had originally been scheduled for May 8, but was delayed after his attorneys filed the motion asking the court to set aside the verdict.

Au Pair Murders Draw National Attention

A Fairfax County jury found Banfield guilty Feb. 2 after a trial that drew national attention because of the details of the alleged plot, including an affair between Banfield and Magalhaes, the use of a fetish website and prosecutors’ allegations that the crime scene was staged to make Ryan appear to be an intruder.

Jurors deliberated for several hours on a Friday before returning the following Monday and announcing the verdict shortly after 5 p.m.

During closing arguments, prosecutors said Banfield and Magalhaes lured Ryan to the Banfield home by posing as Christine Banfield on a fetish website. Ryan believed he was going to the home for a consensual sexual encounter, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Banfield shot Ryan in the bedroom, stabbed Christine Banfield and then manipulated the scene to make it appear that Ryan had attacked her. Magalhaes also shot Ryan, according to prosecutors.

“They got Joe Ryan into the house, and then they shot him,” prosecutor Jenna Sands told jurors during closing arguments. “Brendan stabbed Christine, let her bleed out on the floor, and then dripped, smeared and wiped her blood on Joseph Ryan’s body to make it look like he had attacked Christine. Then they called the police.”

Banfield testified in his own defense during the trial and denied making any plan with Magalhaes to kill his wife.

“I think that it’s an absurd line of questioning for something that is not serious, that a plan was made to get rid of my wife,” Banfield testified, according to previous Patch reporting. “That is absolutely crazy.”

Magalhaes testified during Banfield’s trial as part of a plea agreement. She told jurors she began working as the Banfields’ au pair in October 2021, when she was 21, and that she and Banfield began a sexual relationship about 10 months later.

She testified that Banfield told her he wanted to marry her and have children with her, but that he needed to “get rid of” his wife first. Magalhaes said Banfield did not want to divorce Christine Banfield because he feared she would have more money and because he wanted custody of the couple’s 4-year-old daughter.

Magalhaes pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of manslaughter in Ryan’s death. Prosecutors had agreed to recommend a sentence of time served in exchange for her cooperation, but Azcarate rejected that recommendation in February and sentenced Magalhaes to 10 years in prison, the maximum sentence for the charge.

Also See ...

• Brendan Banfield's Attorneys Want Verdict Set Aside In Au Pair Affair Case
• Brendan Banfield Found Guilty Of Murder In Au Pair Affair Trial
• Au Pair 'Wanted The Truth To Come Out' About Ex-Lover, 2023 Homicide
• Banfield Bought Gun A Month Before Wife's Grisly Murder, Witness Says
• Au Pair Reveals New Grisly Details Of Herndon Double Murder

The killings were reported the morning of Feb. 24, 2023. Police found Christine Banfield suffering from stab wounds to her upper body and Ryan suffering from gunshot wounds. Christine Banfield was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Ryan died at the scene.

According to the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Banfield and Magalhaes created an account on FetLife in January 2023 while posing as Christine Banfield. Prosecutors said the two used Christine Banfield’s computer to message potential matches until they identified Ryan, who lived in Springfield.

Prosecutors said Ryan was asked to bring a knife to the home as part of what he believed was a consensual sexual encounter. In the months before the killings, prosecutors said Banfield took Magalhaes to a shooting range, bought a gun and exchanged phones with her.

On the morning of the killings, prosecutors said Banfield left the home shortly after 7 a.m. and Magalhaes left around the same time, saying she was taking the couple’s daughter to the zoo. Instead, prosecutors said, she waited nearby until Ryan arrived and then called Banfield, who was waiting at a nearby McDonald’s.

Prosecutors said Banfield and Magalhaes entered the home, leaving the child in the basement, and confronted Ryan and Christine Banfield in the bedroom. Banfield, who was a law enforcement agent with the IRS, shot Ryan in the head with his service weapon, prosecutors said. Magalhaes shot Ryan in the chest with another gun, and Banfield stabbed Christine Banfield in the neck seven times with the knife Ryan had brought to the home, prosecutors said.

Banfield was arrested Sept. 16, 2024, after a 19-month investigation.

Friday’s hearing is expected to include victim impact statements before Azcarate imposes Banfield’s sentence.