On February 24, officers from the Fairfax County Police Department were confronted with a gruesome scene when they responded to a call from the residence.
They discovered Joseph Ryan with gunshot wounds to the upper body and Christine Banfield, in an upstairs bedroom, suffering from stab wounds to the upper body.
Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene. And Banfield was transported to the hospital, where she, too, was pronounced dead. Amidst this horrifying incident, a four-year-old girl in their care remained unharmed.
Questions Remain About Double Homicide
Magalhaes and Christine Banfield’s husband made the call to the police. According to initial reports, Magalhaes informed the dispatchers that “her friend was hurt.”
Banfield’s husband later got on the line, stating that he had shot an unknown man who entered his home. And then attacked a woman.
During a press conference, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis mentioned that there was no signs of a forced entry. And no evidence of a break-in.
