A Virginia man who conspired with his family's Brazilian au pair to murder his wife has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Brendan Banfield, a former Internal Revenue Service law enforcement officer, was convicted of killing his wife Christine Banfield and a man lured to their home as a fall guy.
Prosecutors said Banfield and au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães set up Joseph Ryan in a scheme to kill Christine Banfield, a pediatric intensive care nurse. Banfield claimed he shot Ryan after coming across him attacking his wife on 24 February 2023, but the court found the killings were premeditated.
Judge Penney Azcarate called Banfield's conduct 'evil and calculated', citing his lack of remorse. In addition to murder, Banfield was convicted of child endangerment as the couple's four-year-old daughter was home during the killings. He received an additional five years for that charge and three years for a firearms offence.
Speaking at his sentencing, Banfield proclaimed his innocence, saying he loved his wife and never intended to leave her despite having affairs. The judge was unmoved, stating she felt no hesitation in ordering him to remain behind bars for life.
Christine Banfield's sister, Danielle Hocker, described her as kind and selfless, while Ryan's mother, Deidre Fisher, said her son was a caring person who looked after his grandmother and adopted old, ugly dogs from shelters.
