4 Murder Charges Filed Against Husband In 2023 Double Homicide

HERNDON, VA — Brendan Banfield, a Herndon-area man authorities said was romantically involved with his family's au pair, was indicted Monday on four counts of aggravated murder in connection with the 2023 killings of his wife, Christine Banfield and 39-year-old Joseph Ryan of Springfield.

FCPD Chief Kevin Davis and Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano announced the charges during a news conference on Monday. Brendan Banfield is being held in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

"We know Brandon Banfield and Juliana Margalis, the family au pair, were involved in a romantic relationship at the time of the murder," Davis said, adding he could not elaborate because the investigation was still ongoing.

New information recently obtained FCPD's investigation allowed Descano's office to indict Brendan Banfield 540 days after the death of his wife and Ryan.

"I'm not going to characterize my opinions about the evidence, other than to describe the evidence that exists in abundance to give us probable cause to bring these charges forward," he said. "It's digital evidence. It's physical evidence. It's forensics evidence. It's circumstantial evidence. The detectives and the prosecutors worked meticulously to ensure that every 'T' is crossed and every 'I' is dotted, but the work still goes on."

Several hours before Monday's news conference, investigators executed a search warrant on the Banfield home, which the chief said was not unusual.

The killings happened on Feb. 24, 2023 at a home in the home in the 13200 block of Stable Brook Way in the Hattontown neighborhood in the Herndon area.

After being called to the scene earlier in the morning, police found 37-year-old Christine Banfield with upper body stab wounds and Ryan with upper body gunshot wounds.

Banfield was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead, while Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 4-year-old girl was home when the shooting occurred and was not hurt, police said.

Based on forensic evidence and interviews, the au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 23, of Reston, was charged with second-degree murder in Ryan's death in October 2023. She still has a November court date, Descano said on Monday.

The Washington Post reported that Brendan Banfield told a 911 dispatcher he had shot Ryan. He also accused Ryan of stabbing Christine Banfield.

At a news briefing after the killings, Davis said the au pair and Banfield’s husband both called 911. The husband had told a 911 dispatcher he shot a man who had entered the home and stabbed Banfield.

Ryan did not live at the home, but police found no evidence of a forced entry, the Post reported.

"We did charge four different aggravated murder charges, even though we're only talking about two victims," Descano said. "The reason we did that, it's very lawyerly and technical, but essentially it boils down to in the aggravated murder statute, there are a number of different options to prove that."

When we took a look at what we intend to present at trial, we believe that our presentation of evidence can possibly hit both of those different subsections elements."

Banfield will be arraigned Tuesday or Wednesday in Fairfax County General District Court and the trial will take place in Fairfax County Circuit Court.