Brendan Banfield Murder Trial Preview: Everything You Need To Know Before Monday | True Crime Today

The Brendan Banfield murder trial begins Monday, January 12th, 2026. This is the complete breakdown of the case before opening statements.

On February 24, 2023, police found Christine Banfield, 37, stabbed to death in her Herndon, Virginia bedroom. Joseph Ryan, 39, lay feet away — shot twice by two different guns. Christine was nude. Ryan was fully clothed. A knife, two firearms, and fetish sex accessories were scattered around the room. The Banfields' 4-year-old daughter was in the basement.

Prosecutors allege Brendan Banfield, an IRS criminal investigator, conspired with the family's au pair Juliana Peres Magalhaes to murder his wife. They say the pair created a fake FetLife profile in Christine's name to lure Ryan to the house, then killed them both and staged it to look like self-defense against a home invader.

But Fairfax County Police's own digital forensics expert contradicted that theory. Officer Brendan Miller analyzed 60 devices and concluded Christine appeared to be the one controlling the account. His findings were peer-reviewed and confirmed. Then he was transferred out of the unit.

The prosecution's star witness is Juliana, who changed her story after a year in jail and got a deal to walk free if she testifies. She wrote to her mother: "I'm heartbroken for doing this to Brendan... But it's the right thing to do. For you. I want to be with you again."

The lead prosecutor was removed after being cited for drinking at 8 a.m. Key evidence has been excluded. Defense attorney John Carroll says this is "a theory in search of facts."

Four weeks. Cameras in the courtroom. A nurse and an innocent man are dead. The trial starts now.

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