Juliana Peres Magalhães received the maximum 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to a reduced manslaughter charge in the February 2023 killing of Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors had recommended that she be released immediately in exchange for her cooperation and guilty plea, but Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penney S. Azcarate rejected that request and imposed the full prison term.
During sentencing, Judge Penney S. Azcarate described the crime as intentional and calculated, calling it one of the most serious manslaughter cases the court had seen. The judge said Juliana Peres Magalhães showed a deliberate disregard for human life and that incarceration was appropriate.
Juliana Peres Magalhães previously testified that she fatally shot Joseph Ryan while her employer and romantic partner, Brendan Banfield, was stabbing his wife, Christine Banfield, in the couple’s bedroom. She told jurors that Brendan Banfield initially shot Joseph Ryan and that she then fired a second shot after seeing him move.
Brendan Banfield, an Internal Revenue Service agent, was convicted of aggravated murder in the deaths of both Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Court testimony revealed that Juliana Peres Magalhães and Brendan Banfield had created a social media account in Christine Banfield’s name on a platform catering to individuals interested in sexual fetishes. Joseph Ryan connected with the account and agreed to meet for what he believed would be a consensual encounter involving a knife.
Juliana Peres Magalhães testified that on the night of the killings, she and Brendan Banfield brought the couple’s 4-year-old child to the basement before entering the bedroom where the violence occurred. She said she remained in the room while Brendan Banfield stabbed Christine Banfield but crouched behind the bed and covered her eyes and ears.
Prosecutors said the relationship between Juliana Peres Magalhães and Brendan Banfield continued for months after the killings.
Juliana Peres Magalhães was not arrested until eight months after the incident and initially refused to speak with investigators for more than a year. As her own trial date approached, she agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against Brendan Banfield. During his trial, Brendan Banfield’s attorney questioned her credibility and argued that she had incentives to provide testimony favorable to the prosecution.
Before sentencing, Juliana Peres Magalhães read a prepared statement expressing remorse to the victims’ families. She acknowledged that her apology could not undo the harm and said she had lost herself in the relationship.
Joseph Ryan’s mother, Dierdre Fisher, delivered a victim impact statement, saying no punishment could restore her son’s life but expressing hope that the court would recognize his dignity and worth. Relatives of Christine Banfield had prepared statements but were not permitted to speak because Juliana Peres Magalhães was charged only in connection with Joseph Ryan’s death.
Brendan Banfield was convicted of two counts of aggravated murder, one count of child endangerment, and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a murder. Under Virginia law, aggravated murder carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Brendan Banfield is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8.
