A Herndon family’s au pair who engaged in an affair with her employer before aiding a plot to murder his wife and another man has received the maximum sentence for her role in the killings.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes was sentenced to 10 years in prison today (Friday) — the maximum sentence allowed for the charge of manslaughter under state law. The 25-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in exchange for her testimony against co-conspirator Brendan Banfield.
Though prosecutors recommended a sentence of time served based on that cooperation, Chief Judge Penney Azcarate was not convinced, calling Peres Magalhaes’ plea deal down from a murder charge “a huge bargain.”
Both Banfield and Peres Magalhaes were charged in connection to the Feb. 24, 2023, double murder of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan at the Banfield’s Herndon home.
Though Brendan Banfield was charged — and later convicted — of aggravated murder for the deaths of his wife and Ryan, Peres Magalhaes was charged for firing a second gunshot at Ryan, ultimately striking him in the torso.
“Your actions were deliberate, self-serving and demonstrated a profound disregard for human life,” Azcarate said Friday. “So let’s get straight: you do not deserve anything other than incarceration and a life of reflection on what you have done to the victim and his family.”
After sentencing, Campbell told reporters outside the courtroom that he was not surprised by Azcarate’s decision to reject the joint recommendation of time served.
According to Campbell, Peres Magalhaes will likely serve 67% of her sentence due to state laws regarding good behavior while incarcerated. She will also receive credit for time served, placing her period of active incarceration around four years, he said.
Upon her release, Peres Magalhaes will be subject to a two-year period of post-release supervision requiring her to remain in Virginia.
Since Peres Magalhaes is not a permanent U.S. resident, she remains subject to future deportation to her native of Brazil at the conclusion of her sentence. A detainer has been requested by federal immigration officials, but cannot be acted upon until her release.
Banfield faces a mandatory life sentence for aggravated murder and will be formally sentenced on May 8.
The murders and investigation
Police responded to the Banfields’ home, located in the 13200 block of Stable Brook Way in the Floris area south of Herndon, early in the morning on Feb. 24, 2023.
Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhaes had called 911 to report that Christine Banfield had been stabbed by an intruder. Brendan Banfield then claimed to have shot Joseph Ryan in an act of self-defense.
Ryan, who sustained two gunshot wounds, was pronounced dead inside the residence. Christine Banfield was transported to a local hospital, where she died.
Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhaes, who later both testified to being involved in an extramarital affair with each other, were later accused of orchestrating the encounter through a “catfishing” scheme to help end the Banfields’ marriage, according to prosecutors.
During Banfield’s trial, Magalhães testified that she and Banfield, an IRS agent, had created an account in the name of his wife, a pediatric intensive care nurse, on a social media platform for people interested in sexual fetishes. Ryan connected with the account and agreed to meet for a sexual encounter involving a knife.
Magalhães said she and Brendan Banfield took the couple’s 4-year-old child to the basement, and then entered the bedroom, where she said Brendan Banfield shot Ryan and was stabbing his wife in the neck. When she saw Ryan moving, Magalhães said, she fired the second shot that killed him.
Brendan Banfield was not initially considered a suspect, and was not arrested until his indictment in September 2024. Peres Magalhaes had previously been arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder in October 2023.
