Brazilian Au Pair Faces Sentencing in Murder Scheme

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A Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, is facing sentencing after pleading guilty to scheming with her employer-turned-lover, Brendan Banfield, to kill his wife Christine and another man, Joseph Ryan. Magalhães testified that she fatally shot Ryan as Banfield was stabbing his wife to death in their bedroom. Magalhães and Banfield had an affair leading up to the killings and continued their relationship afterward.

Why it matters

This case highlights the complex dynamics of intimate partner violence, the abuse of power dynamics between employers and employees, and the challenges of prosecuting premeditated murder cases when the perpetrators have a personal relationship.

The details

Magalhães pleaded guilty to a reduced manslaughter charge in Ryan's killing as part of an agreement to cooperate with prosecutors against Banfield, who was convicted by a jury of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife and Ryan. Magalhães and Banfield had created a social media account in Christine Banfield's name to lure Ryan, a man interested in sexual fetishes involving knives, to the couple's home, where the murders took place.

• In February 2023, the killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan occurred.
• Magalhães was not arrested until eight months later, in October 2023.
• Magalhães did not talk with investigators for more than a year, until her own trial date approached.

What they’re saying

What’s next

On Friday, a judge will determine Juliana Peres Magalhães' fate at her sentencing hearing. As part of her plea deal, her attorney and prosecutors agreed to end her time behind bars at this hearing, but the judge could still reject that agreement.