RESTON, Va. — Brendan Banfield, a 39-year-old IRS special agent, has been indicted in connection to a shocking double murder plot that left two people dead in February, authorities announced on Thursday. The case, which has drawn widespread attention for its bizarre and disturbing details, implicates Banfield’s lover, a 23-year-old au pair, and involves a conspiracy allegedly driven by a sexual fetish.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis and Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano revealed that Banfield is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Banfield is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
The case dates back to Feb. 24, when officers responded to the Banfield home in Reston’s Hattontown neighborhood and discovered the bodies of two victims. Christine Banfield, 37, the wife of the accused, was found in an upstairs bedroom with fatal stab wounds. Nearby, Joseph Ryan, 39, of Springfield, was found with gunshot wounds to the upper body. Both were pronounced dead shortly after the arrival of first responders.
Initially, 911 calls were made by the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, and Brendan Banfield. Detectives soon uncovered a complex web of relationships and a murder plot involving the two suspects. Peres Magalhaes, a Brazilian national, was arrested earlier this year and charged with second-degree murder for shooting Ryan, who police believe was involved in the conspiracy.
According to investigators, the killings appear to be part of a plan orchestrated by Banfield, who allegedly sought to murder his wife and set up Ryan as a patsy. Through forensic evidence and witness interviews, police determined that Peres Magalhaes shot Ryan, but the circumstances leading to the fatal stabbing of Christine Banfield remain under investigation.
Authorities continue to sift through digital and forensic evidence to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy, which reportedly involved Banfield’s use of his position to carry out the crime. The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are urging anyone with information to contact the Major Crimes Bureau.
The Banfield and Ryan families are being provided support by victim specialists from the Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division.
