Au Pair, 2 Cold Case Homicide Suspects Indicted By Grand Jury: Descano

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A Fairfax County grand jury has indicted suspects in three high-profile homicide cases, including one involving 23-year-old au pair Juliana Peres Magalhaes, who was charged in the 2023 death of Joseph Ryan in Herndon.

The other indictments involved suspects in two cold cases: Jose Larazo Cruz for the 1991 killing of Ana Jurado, and Stephan Smerk for the 1994 killing of Robin Lawrence.

Peres Magalhaes, a former live-in au pair from Brazil who was an employee of Christine and Brendan Banfield, was charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Joseph Ryan of Springfield.

On Feb. 24, 2023, police were called to the Banfields' home at 13230 Stable Brook Way in Herndon for the report of a man being shot and a woman being stabbed. Police found Christine Banfield with upper body stab wounds and Joseph Ryan with upper body gunshot wounds.

Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene and Christine Banfield was taken to Reston Hospital Center, where she was declared deceased. No charges have been made yet in connection to her death.

In January, Fairfax County Police announced the extradition and arrest of 60-year-old Jose Larazo Cruz, who was wanted in the April 30, 1991 stabbing death of 24-year-old Ana Jurado.

Detectives identified Jurado's estranged husband, Cruz, as a suspect in the case. The couple was going through a divorce at the time she was killed, according to Lt. Col. Eli Cory, deputy chief.

At first, Cruz had fled to El Salvador, which did not have a legal mechanism in place to extradite Cruz to the U.S. However, on July 23, 2022, Cruz was apprehended as he attempted to enter Costa Rica. He was then charged and now indicted for second-degree murder for the April 30, 1991, fatal stabbing of Jurado.

Last September, Fairfax County Police charged 51-year-old Stephen Smerk of Niskayuna, New York, with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of 37-year-old Robin Warr Lawrence of Springfield in 1994.

Lawrence was found stabbed to death around 12:30 p.m., on Nov. 20, 1994, by an acquaintance inside her home in the 8600 block of Reseca Lane in Springfield. The victim's 2-year-old daughter, Nicole, was also found inside the home physically unharmed, according to a 1994 report in The Washington Post.

With the help of Parabon NanoLabs in Reston, investigators were able to develop a DNA profile of the suspect, including a composite image. Eventually, they identified a familial match, which led them to Smerk.

On Monday, the Commonwealth Attorney's office announced Smerk's indictment for second-degree murder.

“I’m extremely proud of the work that Fairfax County investigators have done in these three cases,” Descano said. “These indictments are evidence of Fairfax County’s commitment to the pursuit of justice and our steadfast support to families of victims. No matter how long it takes, individuals who commit such violent acts in our county will be found and face accountability for their actions.”

Trial dates for all three cases will be set on April 18.