Au Pair Who Testified at Ex-Lover's Trial Made Up BDSM Murder Plot, Defense Attorney Claims By Liam Quinn

The attorney representing the former federal agent accused of killing his wife and another man argued in court that the entire alleged BDSM murder plot was made up by the au pair connected to the case.

Brendan Banfield is on trial for murder in connection with the 2023 deaths of his wife, Christine Banfield, who was stabbed to death, and Joseph Ryan, who was fatally shot.

Prosecutors have said Brendan was having an affair with Juliana Peres Magalhaes, his family’s au pair, beginning in 2022.

The prosecution’s case revolves around an alleged plot in which Brendan is accused of creating a profile on Fetlife.com, a bondage website, and posing as his wife.

Brendan allegedly then began communicating with Ryan and discussing a “consensual sexual encounter involving restraints used on [Christine], her clothing being cut off with a knife he brought, and other violent sexual role play,” prosecutors said.

After luring Ryan to their Virginia home on Feb. 23, 2023, Brendan is accused of shooting him and then stabbing his wife. Peres Magalhaes was accused of shooting Ryan again after seeing him move.

Peres Magalhaes became the prosecution’s key witness after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Ryan in 2024 and testified at Brendan’s 2026 trial, stating that he told her he wanted to “get rid” of Christine, NBC4 reported.

Brendan, however, has denied the charges and during closing arguments on Friday, Jan. 30, his attorney John Carroll told the jury the alleged plot was fabricated, per CNN.

“Juliana made it up,” Carroll said, according to the outlet. “She told the Commonwealth what they wanted to hear, and without question they just took it as their story. She told this lie to secure herself a deal that benefited her.”

Prosecutors previously claimed that Brendan allegedly planned to make the incident look like a home invasion and instructed Peres Magalhaes to call Christine’s phone when Ryan entered the home and then to call him while he waited at a nearby McDonald’s.

Peres Magalhaes testified, per NBC4, that prior to the alleged murders, Brendan changed his routine so that it wouldn’t seem strange that he was at a McDonald’s.

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Prosecutors have claimed previously that Brendan subsequently received the call and drove home, before allegedly shooting Ryan and stabbing Christine. But Brendan’s defense attorney pointed to DNA analysis that he says did not find his client’s DNA on the knife, CNN reported.

“In pursuing this case, the Commonwealth has presented absolutely no forensics evidence that supports that Brendan Banfield had anything to do with this, yet the story continues,” Carroll reportedly said.

Previously, according to NBC 4, Carroll claimed that Peres Magalhaes was only arrested to “flip her against my client.”