Dateline NBC S34E19 2026 04 03 Episode 19 Engsub

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Transcript

00:00:02Tonight on Dateline.

00:00:04She was like Christine's dead.

00:00:06I was speechless.

00:00:08Complete shock.

00:00:10She was a truly good human.

00:00:12Loving mother.

00:00:13A nurse's nurse.

00:00:15Where's the guy at?

00:00:16The officers met by Juliana, the au pair.

00:00:19They come upon a scene that's sheer chaos.

00:00:22Absolutely.

00:00:22There is somebody shot and a woman that's been stabbed.

00:00:25What's bothering you right now?

00:00:27Did you skip the anus?

00:00:30The scene.

00:00:30You can see Brennan Banfield.

00:00:32He's kneeling over his wife.

00:00:34The deceased male we later identify as Joe Ryan.

00:00:37They find this fetish website where Christine's profile is communicating with Joseph Ryan's profile.

00:00:44They're having in-depth correspondence regarding this violent sexual fantasy.

00:00:49I was like, what if the fantasy was a setup?

00:00:53We start to get these juicy details about this so-called catfish theory.

00:00:58The whole plot is just wild.

00:01:02Very few people see that kind of evil.

00:01:06Man, it shakes you.

00:01:08A double murder as elaborate as it was brutal.

00:01:11Inside the case that riveted the country.

00:01:14I'm Lester Holt and this is Dateline.

00:01:25Here's Blaine Alexander with Temptation.

00:01:36What a perfect day it was supposed to be.

00:01:40For the four-year-old little girl anyway.

00:01:43She was going on an adventure with her live-in nanny.

00:01:46They had bought tickets a few days prior.

00:01:48She's making packed lunches.

00:01:50They're going to go to the zoo as a type of play date with other au pairs in the neighborhood

00:01:54that are also bringing the kids that they watch.

00:01:56Very typical.

00:01:57Very typical.

00:01:59But instead of visiting the lions, tigers and bears that Friday, February 24th, 2023, the little girl found herself in

00:02:08her family's basement in Northern Virginia alone.

00:02:11It's difficult to watch the body camera footage.

00:02:14You just know that when you see the images of that little girl, that her life is never going to

00:02:19be the same.

00:02:20It's never going to be the same.

00:02:22And she was inside the house while whatever horrific thing went on upstairs.

00:02:28She was right there.

00:02:30Yeah.

00:02:45It was just after 8 a.m.

00:02:47The girl's father, Brendan Banfield, told a 911 operator he'd shot a stranger in his home.

00:02:53So the person that you shot, where is he?

00:02:56I don't know.

00:02:57I don't know him.

00:02:58Okay.

00:02:59Where is he though?

00:03:01He's here.

00:03:01He's on the ground.

00:03:03Brendan said he fired because the man was stabbing his wife, Christine.

00:03:08Can you tell me how her breathing is?

00:03:09She's still, she's heart's still breathing.

00:03:11She's still breathing.

00:03:14Within minutes, first responders were at the house, guns drawn.

00:03:17Well, I got voices inside.

00:03:19Let's do some quick.

00:03:20County police, call out.

00:03:21Where's the gun at?

00:03:22Where's the gun?

00:03:24They meet a woman and this woman starts telling the officers, upstairs, come upstairs to the

00:03:31master bedroom.

00:03:31Is there anyone else in the house who need kids in the house?

00:03:34Fairfax County homicide detective Thomas Goodell.

00:03:37You can see Brendan Banfield and he's kneeling over his wife and she's not moving.

00:03:43And he has one arm outstretched and touching the area of her neck, on the side of her neck.

00:03:52And he has blood on his hands.

00:03:54He's touching her.

00:03:55Is he trying to perform life-saving measures?

00:03:57What does that look like?

00:03:59So he was kneeling.

00:04:00She was laying on her side, on one of her sides.

00:04:04And he had the hand, one of his hands on her neck.

00:04:08Christine had been stabbed multiple times.

00:04:11Behind where they're situated, deeper in the corner of the bedroom, laying on top of a dog

00:04:17bed, is another man, fully clothed.

00:04:22Hmm.

00:04:23And his face is covered with blood.

00:04:27Hmm.

00:04:28And he is not moving.

00:04:29It was the man Brendan shot.

00:04:32Anybody have to say blood, okay?

00:04:33She's not me.

00:04:34She's real.

00:04:34She's not my family.

00:04:35You have these two victims there.

00:04:37Now you have medics on the scene.

00:04:39Patrick Bruch, now retired, was a police captain at the time.

00:04:42You see two people that are critically injured, a firearm in plain view, a man covered in blood,

00:04:49a woman that's let you in the house, and what we later find out, a four-year-old girl

00:04:53in a basement.

00:04:54Wow.

00:04:54That's quite a scene.

00:04:56That's a lot.

00:04:57It was soon clear there was nothing first responders could do for the man who'd been shot.

00:05:02He was deceased.

00:05:03Yes, he was deceased at the scene.

00:05:05But Christine, despite repeated stabs to her neck, was miraculously still alive and was rushed

00:05:12to the ER.

00:05:13Officers then coaxed the Banfield's four-year-old daughter from the basement.

00:05:17Do you want to go outside with us?

00:05:19You need to go outside, okay?

00:05:20Officers guided both out of the house, the child and the woman with her.

00:05:25And that would be who we later identify as Juliana, the au pair.

00:05:28That left Brandon, his hands still covered in Christine's blood.

00:05:33Can you check him out?

00:05:34Yeah, I got more units here, but we'll check him out.

00:05:36What's his demeanor at this time?

00:05:39It's sort of consistent with someone who's experienced a critical incident.

00:05:43Levels of shock, not really saying too much, you know, making some utterances, but very

00:05:48small.

00:05:49And that's part of the challenge for the responding officers is they're trying to elicit more

00:05:53information.

00:05:55But this is somebody who has shot a stranger in his bedroom.

00:05:59Sounds like a home invasion.

00:06:00For all intents and purposes, that's what you would have to initially classify it as.

00:06:07Yet, even in those early hours, investigators wondered, what an odd time of day for a home

00:06:13invasion, early on a Friday morning, when neighbors, potential witnesses, were bustling

00:06:18to school, to work, and almost sure to see something.

00:06:22Was there something else going on here?

00:06:25Well, yes.

00:06:27There was a lot more.

00:06:31There was just something about it all that compelled me to couch my words at that on-scene

00:06:37press conference.

00:06:39He had sent a photograph in advance.

00:06:43These are the things that I'm going to bring.

00:06:44Zip ties and chains and whips and, you know, rubber belts.

00:06:49You hear about this fetish website.

00:06:51Did that sound like anything that was even remotely possible?

00:06:54Absolutely not.

00:06:55Absolutely not.

00:06:56God, no.

00:06:57It's these details that take the public interest from here through the roof.

00:07:02Because you're, what he, he was doing what?

00:07:20If there is such a thing as a perfect place to raise a family, the Banfields community was

00:07:25probably it.

00:07:27This is a really nice place to live.

00:07:29Herndon, Virginia, all of Fairfax County is fairly suburban.

00:07:32Drew Wilder covers the area for NBC4 Washington.

00:07:36Great schools, great place to live, beautiful, quiet neighborhoods.

00:07:41But on Friday, February 24th, 2023, this neighborhood was chaos.

00:07:47Patrick Bruch was a member of police senior command.

00:07:50So you get here, I mean, what is this street like when you first get to the scene?

00:07:55So from here, as far as your eye can see, it's fire apparatus, it's police cars, it's lights.

00:08:01There is a clear path to the residents, and that's just so any one of the ambulances can

00:08:06get out of the neighborhood.

00:08:06We're talking about a huge response, just flashing lights up and down that street.

00:08:09Absolutely, as far as you can see.

00:08:10I get notified right away.

00:08:12Kevin Davis is chief of the Fairfax County Police Department.

00:08:16We know what our 911 caller, the husband, told us.

00:08:19I spent a lot of time as a local reporter.

00:08:21When we would go to crime scenes, if the chief came out and spoke to reporters, we're automatically

00:08:27thinking, okay, this is a big deal.

00:08:28People were out of their homes, they were curious, and I knew based on the geography

00:08:33of this crime, based on the nature of this crime, that this was going to garner a lot

00:08:38of attention.

00:08:39They quickly learned the man on the 911 call was Brendan Banfield, a 38-year-old special

00:08:44agent for the IRS in its Criminal Investigation Division.

00:08:48He is a sworn officer, he does carry a firearm, and he basically enforces federal crimes as

00:08:53they pertain to, you know, IRS and tax issues.

00:08:56So he has a lot of the powers of a law enforcement official?

00:09:00Sure thing, yes.

00:09:01He, Christine, and their four-year-old daughter were fairly new to the area.

00:09:06They'd moved here from their native Long Island in 2019 after the IRS promoted Brendan to special

00:09:11agent.

00:09:12When they were looking at houses, we all went out and grabbed dinner together.

00:09:15Brian Jarrett already knew Brendan through online gaming.

00:09:18They often teamed up.

00:09:19We just seemed to vibe right away, both competitive, both good at what we did.

00:09:25And we were having a lot of success together and, like, constantly winning and enjoying

00:09:30yourself.

00:09:31You know, just think, like, OK, this is fun.

00:09:34Let's keep going, see where this goes.

00:09:37Brian says Brendan and Christine were a fun couple who loved to work out and compete in

00:09:42mud races.

00:09:43He and Brendan became close friends.

00:09:45We did a Tough Mudder together.

00:09:48Sometimes we'd go on hikes or we'd go to concerts together or, you know, sometimes just, like,

00:09:53watch, like, a football game or something like that.

00:09:56We'd also talk about just, like, individual investing.

00:09:59But he always said his goal was to create generational wealth for his daughter.

00:10:05From everything I'd heard, they accumulated a lot and were extremely well off, had a very nice

00:10:12house.

00:10:13Christine was an accomplished nurse who took on the tough jobs, like working with victims

00:10:18of sexual assault.

00:10:19Her specialty, though, was pediatric intensive care.

00:10:23She's like, I'm kind of like the unit mother hen.

00:10:25Like, I take in all the new grads.

00:10:28Nurses Katie Janice and Marissa Moncayo worked alongside her in the ICU.

00:10:33So you already take a very busy environment, which can be very, very stressful.

00:10:37And then you add on trying to educate a new person and a new nurse coming on.

00:10:42So I think it takes a special breed of person to be able to do that.

00:10:46They'll never forget how Christine volunteered to work the adult ICU ward during those terrifying

00:10:52first days of COVID.

00:10:53I mean, that was a very scary time, especially to be in the health care field.

00:10:57Yeah, I think being in the health care world at that time was hard because in the beginning

00:11:01we didn't know what COVID was, what it looked like.

00:11:04And I think initially as health care workers, we were all super, super scared.

00:11:08Like, am I going to get this?

00:11:10It was like running into a building that's on fire.

00:11:14And she was like, OK, there's people in that burning building.

00:11:19I need to go save them.

00:11:20That's exactly what she did.

00:11:22Katie and Marissa say the only thing Christine prized more than her work was her family,

00:11:27especially their young daughter.

00:11:30Super, super proud, super beaming.

00:11:32Like, all she did was talk about her daughter.

00:11:35Constantly pulling out her phone.

00:11:36Constantly.

00:11:37Showing pictures.

00:11:38And as a working mom, child care was always top of mind.

00:11:42Especially if you're working difficult hours, how are you going to make it all work?

00:11:47Yeah, because I think all of us had different schedules on the unit.

00:11:52It was one of the reasons Christine turned to the au pair program, hosting young live-in nannies from abroad.

00:11:58For busy parents, the au pair program can be a godsend.

00:12:02Yeah.

00:12:02I've done it.

00:12:03It's been amazing.

00:12:05Did it seem like Christine had kind of found the perfect child care solution?

00:12:09Yeah.

00:12:10I think she talked about it that way.

00:12:11And it wasn't just like, I have an au pair and this fits my family's lifestyle.

00:12:15It was like, I have an au pair and I'm helping somebody come to our country and I'm giving

00:12:19them a chance to live here and see what our country is like.

00:12:22Like, she really promoted the role.

00:12:24Yeah.

00:12:25They say Christine became close with her first au pair.

00:12:28When that woman left, Christine found a replacement in Juliana Perez Magalhães from Brazil.

00:12:34I think that the reason that she had liked her is because the new au pair had mentioned that she

00:12:39had worked in health care.

00:12:40Oh, wow.

00:12:41So I think that they had like that common bond and that's why she was like, oh, this would be

00:12:45a great fit.

00:12:47Now, more than a year later, Christine was fighting for her life as officers led the traumatized au pair out

00:12:54of the house.

00:12:55It's okay.

00:12:56Just breathe, okay?

00:12:58As they're escorting her out of the house by the driveway, they stop for a period of time.

00:13:03And as they're doing that, she starts making statements.

00:13:07Barely audible at first, but officers got the gist.

00:13:10The breathless woman from Brazil wanted to share what she'd witnessed in that upstairs bedroom.

00:13:16Every heart-pounding moment of it.

00:13:18And Brennan said, no, police, don't drop the knife.

00:13:22And he was there, I'm going to kill her, I'm going to kill her.

00:13:38It was a horrifying scene.

00:13:41Way too much for 22-year-old au pair Juliana Perez Magalhães to handle.

00:13:46Take a minute, okay?

00:13:48I need some water.

00:13:51The officers are trying to walk her through deep breaths to try and calm her down,

00:13:56while at the same time trying to get the preliminary information of what happened inside this residence.

00:14:02Okay.

00:14:04She's so upset, she can't even really speak.

00:14:08She's making more utterances, more phrases.

00:14:10I don't know what happened, everything happened too fast.

00:14:13In fits and starts, a story started to take shape.

00:14:17I'm sorry for English, it's almost personal.

00:14:19Oh, you're fine.

00:14:22I don't know what happened.

00:14:23Juliana said she was headed to the National Zoo for that outing with the Banfield's four-year-old daughter.

00:14:29She was with the little girl in a car across the street when...

00:14:33She sees an unfamiliar car, an SUV, and it pulls right into the Banfield's driveway.

00:14:44And a man gets out of the car and goes directly in the front door.

00:14:49She then called Brendan.

00:14:52Brendan had stopped for breakfast at a nearby McDonald's on his way to work.

00:14:56I got him, I see a strange car, but I don't know who he's at.

00:15:00I can't please come here, I'm scared.

00:15:02And then he came here and then we went inside.

00:15:08They actually brought the little girl with them, the four-year-old girl.

00:15:11Inside the house.

00:15:12Inside the house.

00:15:13She had secured the little girl in the basement.

00:15:16Juliana set up a tablet for the girl to watch, then followed Brendan upstairs.

00:15:20And what she hears is sounds consistent with sex noises or slapping.

00:15:25Dude, it's cranking her, I don't know.

00:15:29You're in what?

00:15:29It's cranking her.

00:15:31When they entered the bedroom, she said Christine was on the floor.

00:15:35A man with a knife above her.

00:15:37Brendan identifies himself as a police officer.

00:15:40There's some sort of verbal exchange.

00:15:41And Brendan said, no, police, don't drop the knife.

00:15:45And then he was like, I'm gonna kill her, I'm gonna kill her.

00:15:47And I don't know, he stabbed, he started stabbing her.

00:15:52Brendan, I think Brendan shot him.

00:15:54As Juliana tried to compose herself, officers escorted Brendan out of the house,

00:15:59took him to an ambulance, and headed to the hospital.

00:16:01An officer asked about two guns they found in the bedroom.

00:16:05Sir, was yours the clock 19 with the tailor?

00:16:07Mine is the light, yeah.

00:16:09My other gun is my personal weapon.

00:16:11Oh, that's the 43X?

00:16:12Yeah.

00:16:12So both those are yours?

00:16:13Both of them are mine.

00:16:15Brendan had some questions of his own.

00:16:17First, about his wife, who'd already been rushed to the hospital.

00:16:20Can I be with her?

00:16:22They're gonna work on her when they get there.

00:16:24You wouldn't be able to see her immediately anyway.

00:16:27I wanna be with her.

00:16:28Okay.

00:16:29He also wanted to know about his daughter.

00:16:31She's there with the other officers that are still on scene.

00:16:36Are they going to tell her?

00:16:38I mean, as of right now, I don't think they're going to tell her anything.

00:16:42It's kind of a delicate matter, and I don't think anybody wants to upset her currently.

00:16:48Yes, sir, I understand that.

00:16:53Just moments after arriving at the hospital, a doctor approached him with the worst possible news.

00:16:59Hi, sir.

00:17:00My name is Dean.

00:17:01I'm one of the doctors here.

00:17:03Your wife has died.

00:17:14Christine Banfield was just 37 years old.

00:17:17A hospital chaplain asked if she could do anything for Brendan.

00:17:21Let me say a prayer.

00:17:22Go ahead.

00:17:22There, in the hospital room, they recited the Lord's Prayer.

00:17:25You can lead us not into temptation.

00:17:29I want to live arrest on you.

00:17:32Back at the house, forensic techs collected evidence to send to the crime lab for DNA testing and blood pattern

00:17:38analysis.

00:17:40The Banfield's daughter was shepherded down the block, away from the chaos, where she was reunited with Juliana.

00:17:47It's difficult to watch the body camera footage, and you just know that when you see the images of that

00:17:53little girl,

00:17:53that her life is never going to be the same.

00:17:55And she was inside the house while whatever horrific thing went on upstairs.

00:18:01She was right there.

00:18:03Yeah.

00:18:04Hours later at police headquarters, Juliana was still unsettled, pacing back and forth nonstop.

00:18:11What's bothering you right now?

00:18:12What's going on?

00:18:13I just keep seeing the scene.

00:18:18She told them she had a good professional relationship with the Banfields.

00:18:23They're like a traditional family.

00:18:25You can tell like, you know, dad, mom, daughter, dog, and super nice.

00:18:31She also gave a more detailed version of the moment Brendan confronted the stranger in the bedroom.

00:18:37And Brendan said, drop the knife, please drop the knife.

00:18:42That's what I heard.

00:18:44And that strange guy was saying, drop the gun, drop the gun.

00:18:49And they were yelling at each other.

00:18:52I covered my ears.

00:18:55I closed my eyes.

00:18:57I didn't want to see or hear anything because they were getting serious, I guess.

00:19:03Brendan shot him.

00:19:12She said after he shot the stranger, Brendan went to help Christine, who was bleeding badly.

00:19:18And the other man was still moving.

00:19:21He was reacting.

00:19:23So he was going to do something with Brendan also.

00:19:26And then I shot him also.

00:19:29I did.

00:19:30That's notable.

00:19:32That's significant.

00:19:39And an officer involved shooting and whether or not he was in an official capacity or not, he was involved

00:19:44in the shooting.

00:19:45And so oftentimes officers are coached to talk to an attorney first before making a statement.

00:19:52It had been a tragic and bewildering day with so much loss to absorb.

00:19:58Some random guy had pretty much just come off the street and broken into their home and killed Christine.

00:20:03How does something like this happen?

00:20:05Katie, how did you find out that she died?

00:20:07I was at home.

00:20:09Marissa texted me.

00:20:10And she was like, Christine Banfield was killed in her home this morning.

00:20:14And I was like, speechless.

00:20:18And Marissa, how did you find out?

00:20:20So somebody had texted me and then they told me.

00:20:24And I was just in complete shock.

00:20:27In those early hours, it was a complicated scene for detectives with so many unanswered questions.

00:20:34At the top of their list, who was the man killed in the Banfield's house?

00:20:38And what was he doing in Christine's bedroom?

00:20:42Joseph Ryan had accounts on an adult fetish dating site.

00:20:48So kind of like a Tinder meets BDSM?

00:20:51Yes.

00:21:06It was a flash of violence that left two people dead.

00:21:10Christine Banfield attacked in her own bedroom.

00:21:13And a stranger shot dead just feet away.

00:21:17This was a very convoluted crime scene.

00:21:20We maintained custody of that crime scene for days.

00:21:23That's how thorough these crime scene detectives are.

00:21:27They don't let any stone go unturned.

00:21:29And they process the entire house and collect anything that they think might be pertinent to the investigation,

00:21:34even if it isn't overwhelming at the time.

00:21:37Their search included the stranger's car.

00:21:39We had the car that was parked in the driveway that he came in, which gave us our first lead

00:21:46to his identity.

00:21:47But we also confirmed that a couple other ways.

00:21:51Joseph Ryan is his name.

00:21:52Yes, his name is Joseph.

00:21:53Joseph Ryan.

00:21:54Joseph Ryan.

00:21:55Joe, to his friends and family, was 39 years old and lived with his grandmother about 20 miles from the

00:22:01Banfields.

00:22:02We learned a lot about Joseph Ryan and his background, where he lived, who his friends were, what his hobbies

00:22:08and his activities were.

00:22:09We learned that he was into things like live-action role-playing or LARPing.

00:22:14Explain this.

00:22:15I've never heard LARPing before.

00:22:16People will dress up in costumes and things like that, and they will engage in non-sexual fantasy role-play,

00:22:25like Dungeons & Dragons type of things.

00:22:29To, like, theater.

00:22:32Kind of.

00:22:33Oftentimes, I think it's centered more around, like, pugilistic combat with foam swords and things like that.

00:22:40So, play fighting in costumes.

00:22:42Yes.

00:22:44Cell phones collected from his car revealed a more private side of Joe Ryan.

00:22:49We learned that Joseph Ryan also had accounts on a website known as FetLife.

00:22:56What kind of a website is that?

00:22:58It is a place where people who have very specific fetishes or sexual proclivities will connect with each other on

00:23:07a consensual basis.

00:23:09So, kind of like a Tinder meets BDSM.

00:23:12Yes.

00:23:13We learned that Joseph Ryan had several encounters with people on that website.

00:23:18Joe's most recent conversation on the site was with someone with the profile name Anastasia Nine.

00:23:24They're having very in-depth correspondence regarding this violent sexual fantasy, which Anastasia is indicating she wished to explore.

00:23:35What is the sexual fantasy?

00:23:37Sexual fantasy is essentially a rape fantasy, where a stranger comes into the residence and violently attacks Anastasia.

00:23:46The plan took shape on a secure messaging app.

00:23:49This is what Anastasia wrote to Joe.

00:23:51I'm looking for someone aggressive, dominant, and experienced.

00:23:55There were specific things about clothing being cut off.

00:23:59There was discussions about certain sexual acts and positions that were violent in nature.

00:24:07The script was planned to a T.

00:24:10Anastasia would be asleep at home and leave the front door unlocked.

00:24:14Joe would go to her bedroom and carry out the plan, even if she resisted.

00:24:19You have this trove of information about Joseph Ryan and his activity on this website.

00:24:26What did you find when you looked at Christine Banfield's devices?

00:24:30So when we looked at Christine's devices, we found that they were connected to the Anastasia Nine account that had

00:24:37been communicating with Joe Ryan's FetLife account.

00:24:41I mean, that had to have been a huge moment.

00:24:43It was.

00:24:44A huge moment that helped explain so much, like a strange piece of evidence discovered in Christine's bedroom.

00:24:51There was a backpack that was filled with items that would be consistent with things used in BDSM-style sexual

00:25:01encounters.

00:25:02Oh, gosh.

00:25:03The very items Joe said he would bring to the house.

00:25:07The items that were in that backpack were actually sent in a photograph to Christine's devices.

00:25:14So he took pictures and sent them to Anastasia Nine.

00:25:16Yes.

00:25:17Are you starting to get a picture in your mind of what possibly happened here?

00:25:20Yes.

00:25:21That instead of this being a random home break-in, you're now looking at this and saying, this is something

00:25:26that appears to be planned.

00:25:28Yes.

00:25:30Now, it looked like Joe Ryan was no burglar.

00:25:33He had been invited into the house.

00:25:36The idea that this was a home break-in gone wrong did not appear to be a viable lead anymore.

00:25:43The evidence suggested Christine Banfield, a devoted mother, wife, and nurse, was living a secret life.

00:25:50But if that meeting was consensual, why did they both end up dead?

00:25:55If it looks like a duck, it talks like a duck, walks like a duck, it's a duck.

00:26:00And that's what this was.

00:26:02It was a catfish.

00:26:16On its face, the online conversation between Joe Ryan and Christine Banfield unlocked the mystery of what was happening in

00:26:24her bedroom before things went tragically wrong.

00:26:27But there were still so many questions.

00:26:31As an investigator, everything is possible until it's not.

00:26:34So you all are looking at everything?

00:26:35At everything.

00:26:36We're looking at Joseph Ryan.

00:26:38We're looking at Christine's background.

00:26:39The texts setting up their rendezvous were written in the days before Christine was killed.

00:26:46Detectives followed up with a more comprehensive search, looking at years of activity on her devices.

00:26:52Are you seeing a history of her communicating with sexual partners or engaging on these fetish websites?

00:26:59None at all.

00:27:00No indication of being on any sort of fetish website, sexual website, no footprint of adulterous behavior, promiscuous behavior, or

00:27:08any engagement in sexual fetish fantasies.

00:27:13No, and Christine, you hear about this fetish website.

00:27:17Did that sound like anything that was even remotely possible?

00:27:20Absolutely not.

00:27:20Why?

00:27:22Because she was...

00:27:22Just who she was as a person.

00:27:24She was a sexual assault nurse examiner who advocated for rape victims.

00:27:30Like, there's no way that she would be working as an advocate for that, but then, on the side, engaging

00:27:37in that kind of...

00:27:39Fantasy.

00:27:39Yeah, correct.

00:27:40Would be the furthest thing from something she would do.

00:27:42Yeah, exactly, correct.

00:27:42Joe Ryan did have a history of meeting women he found on the fetish website.

00:27:47Detectives spoke with them and learned something.

00:27:50We learned that there are parameters and consent is a very large part of what goes on.

00:27:58And great care is taken to ensure that consent is there.

00:28:04He was kind of described as an easygoing individual, respected people's boundaries.

00:28:09And they all say, hey, he never crossed the line.

00:28:10He never got violent.

00:28:11Never.

00:28:13Joe had even texted about respecting limits.

00:28:16We need to set boundaries and make sure we will do the right things.

00:28:21And again, it goes back to who was Joe Ryan and what was his pattern of life.

00:28:25And not a violent individual.

00:28:27And it goes back to who was Christine Banfield and what was her pattern of life.

00:28:31And this was just completely out of the ordinary.

00:28:34It just didn't add up.

00:28:36Christine simply wasn't the kind of person to engage in that kind of fetish.

00:28:40And by all accounts, Joe was not a violent person.

00:28:43Captain Bruch concluded it had to be the work of someone else posing as Christine online, luring Joe to the

00:28:50house.

00:28:51This was a catfish.

00:28:53The fact that this was not Christine Banfield was apparently obvious to several of us.

00:28:58But it wasn't obvious to everyone working the case.

00:29:02There were serious disagreements about the catfish theory.

00:29:05You had forensic detectives who are professionals at analyzing computers and cell phones.

00:29:13And they came to a very different conclusion.

00:29:16We don't see a catfish.

00:29:17Hmm.

00:29:18We see Christine probably using these devices.

00:29:23Yeah.

00:29:23So immediately, we see that there is a substantial problem surrounding the catfish theory.

00:29:30Captain Bruch held firm.

00:29:32He believed the circumstantial evidence and common sense supported only one theory.

00:29:37If it looks like a duck, it talks like a duck, walks like a duck, it's a duck.

00:29:43And that's what this was.

00:29:44It was a catfish.

00:29:45Christine Banfield was set up.

00:29:47Forensic experts spent months analyzing their devices, but could not find evidence of a catfishing scheme.

00:29:54But there was other evidence from the crime scene that demanded a closer look, like the way first responders found

00:30:00Joe Ryan after he'd been shot.

00:30:03His arms were in what we kind of call, it looked like a funeral pose, like a body posed in

00:30:10a casket.

00:30:10One hand was over top of the other.

00:30:12It's like cross over his chest.

00:30:14One hand crossed over the other hand.

00:30:16Oh, gosh.

00:30:17If Joe was right next to Christine when he was shot, how did he end up on his back, hands

00:30:23neatly crossed, several feet away?

00:30:25It was a very odd body positioning.

00:30:28I mean, you sort of work backwards from that.

00:30:31Eric Klingin was a Fairfax County prosecutor at the time.

00:30:34He says that positioning alone was enough to suggest the crime scene had been manipulated.

00:30:40We have a staged scene here.

00:30:42Now the question becomes, how did it get staged?

00:30:45Who staged it?

00:30:46And we had Juliana's initial statement.

00:30:49Let's look at Juliana's story.

00:30:51Were there holes in her initial story that she was telling police?

00:30:53Yeah.

00:30:54Brendan said, drop the knife.

00:30:57Police drop the knife.

00:31:05This claim that makes no logical sense because if you're Joe, you still have a knife and he has a

00:31:16gun.

00:31:16You don't win.

00:31:17You're not going to win.

00:31:18So we knew that that conversation could not have taken place that way.

00:31:24Klingin also zeroed in on the 911 calls made that morning.

00:31:28Juliana actually called twice.

00:31:30There's no explanation that was satisfactory as far as why there were multiple calls to 911 with a 13-minute,

00:31:39I think it was 13-minute gap between them.

00:31:41And on the initial call, we have clearly a person moaning in the background.

00:31:49Hello, 5-10-9-1-1.

00:31:52Klingin says it was a male voice and must have been Joe Ryan moaning on that first 911 call, which

00:31:58lasted only a few seconds before Juliana hung up.

00:32:01So clearly a person was in an injured state, and yet it still took 13 or more more minutes for

00:32:10the second call to come in.

00:32:12It made no sense.

00:32:14And that was a big flag immediately.

00:32:16That was a big flag.

00:32:17Klingin was convinced Juliana's story was riddled with lies, but one thing did ring true.

00:32:23What we had was a man was prone on the ground, not a threat to anybody in that room, and

00:32:29Juliana confessed to shooting him.

00:32:31And then I shot him also.

00:32:34I did.

00:32:36Detectives were about to discover another big flag, and this one would give them a possible motive for the crime.

00:32:43She has basically moved into this bedroom.

00:32:46Christine's old bedroom.

00:32:47I would say that she replaced Christine in that bedroom.

00:32:51It was like she was erased.

00:33:08In the months after the killings, Brendan continued to live in the house that had once been a crime scene.

00:33:14He ultimately made the decision to gut his bedroom, like completely ripped everything out.

00:33:19And it seemed like he was almost using that whole project as a way to occupy himself and get over

00:33:24it.

00:33:25Brian says his friend, now a single father, was struggling to cope.

00:33:30He really had this whole situation weighing on him heavily.

00:33:34And he would even ask me, you know, like, what's the best way to deal with this?

00:33:38Also still living in the home, Juliana.

00:33:42She had told police her relationship with Brendan was purely professional.

00:33:46A check of his work and personal phones seemed to back that up.

00:33:50But by this point, detectives already suspected Juliana had lied to them.

00:33:55There's this thing called Instagram.

00:33:56And Juliana posted pictures on Instagram.

00:34:00A lot.

00:34:01Pictures of her with a man whose identity was concealed in a rather unusual way.

00:34:06Emojis?

00:34:07Emojis.

00:34:08Like the way you would protect a child's face?

00:34:10Oh yeah.

00:34:11Oh yeah.

00:34:11She's posting pictures of them out dancing together, out drinking together, going to dinner.

00:34:18Detectives believed that man could be Brendan.

00:34:20But Prosecutor Klingen faced a new, more pressing development.

00:34:24There was some concern over her status here in the U.S.

00:34:28Yes, so her visa was going to expire, had expired at the end of September.

00:34:33And so Brazil is a non-extraditable country.

00:34:36And the concern that the police had is that if she were to go back to Brazil,

00:34:42we're never going to get her and we're never going to find out what happened in that room.

00:34:47It was a risk the prosecutor wasn't prepared to take,

00:34:51particularly since Juliana had already confessed to shooting Joe Ryan.

00:34:54We had all the elements we needed to prosecute her based on just that.

00:35:01In October 2023, nearly eight months into the investigation,

00:35:06police swooped in on the now 23-year-old au pair and arrested her for Joe Ryan's murder.

00:35:12What is that for?

00:35:14What are you doing to me?

00:35:16She was going to come back with us bank orders, okay?

00:35:19That same day, detectives executed a warrant for a second search of the home.

00:35:25What do officers find when they get there and go inside that house?

00:35:28The first thing that I noticed, and I think every detective and every investigator noticed,

00:35:33was we didn't see any pictures of Christine.

00:35:36They were gone.

00:35:37They used to be there.

00:35:39Now it appeared that they had been taken down.

00:35:41Yes, we didn't see any.

00:35:42But the real surprise came upstairs in the bedroom.

00:35:46On the nightstand, on another countertop,

00:35:51there's pictures of Juliana and Brendan together in romantic kind of embrace.

00:35:58Like a couple.

00:36:00Absolutely like a couple.

00:36:01And that wasn't all.

00:36:03Juliana's clothing was now in the shared walk-in closet off the master bathroom

00:36:09with Brendan's clothing, and her lingerie and other items like that were in the bedroom.

00:36:17So she has basically moved into this bedroom.

00:36:21Christine's old bedroom.

00:36:22I would say that she replaced Christine in that bedroom.

00:36:26It was like she was erased.

00:36:29It was a here-we-go moment.

00:36:30This investigation has taken a turn.

00:36:32This was a major shift.

00:36:34Absolutely.

00:36:35It became obvious to us that our suspicions about their relationship were absolutely on point.

00:36:44To Chief Davis and investigators, the bedroom photos confirmed an affair.

00:36:49And from the timestamps on Juliana's Instagram posts,

00:36:52it was clear she and Brendan began that affair months before the murders.

00:36:57All while Christine was still alive.

00:36:59Absolutely.

00:37:00Without her even knowing.

00:37:01Yeah.

00:37:02She's working shifts at the hospital, and these shifts, you know,

00:37:06sometimes night shifts, sometimes day shifts, sometimes she's subbing in for somebody.

00:37:10You come home, you're just looking to breathe.

00:37:12I don't think that Christine had any idea that this was going on in her house.

00:37:17And having this...

00:37:18Yeah.

00:37:19...is a motive.

00:37:20Yes.

00:37:20Showing this relationship between the two.

00:37:21Absolutely.

00:37:22Yeah.

00:37:23Juliana pleaded not guilty and was denied bail.

00:37:26The prosecutor was sure she would try to cut a deal.

00:37:29How long did you give her?

00:37:30How long did you think she would last before flipping?

00:37:32Oh, I thought she would flip the day that we arrested her.

00:37:35But Juliana wasn't talking.

00:37:38She said nothing.

00:37:39She wasn't interested in having a conversation with us.

00:37:41Wow.

00:37:41Yeah.

00:37:42As you're seeing all of that, what did you think?

00:37:45Finally.

00:37:45For me, it's like, why did it take so long?

00:37:48Brendan's friends didn't know what to think.

00:37:51He'd always seem like someone very trustworthy and of high integrity.

00:37:55But if this is something that he had been, like, hiding, what was he actually capable of then?

00:38:01And how well did I really know him?

00:38:04And in the months ahead, investigators, too, would wonder just what Brendan Banfield was capable of.

00:38:11That had to have just been shocking for you to just listen to.

00:38:14Yeah.

00:38:14My wife will tell you, I didn't sleep that weekend.

00:38:17That was a crucial piece of evidence for you.

00:38:19That was a massive piece of evidence in this case.

00:38:21He was involved.

00:38:22We couldn't say 100% in how he was involved.

00:38:25But it was just so off from day one.

00:38:26You've got to wonder, what's going through somebody's head to come up with a scheme like that?

00:38:46She'd come to America from Brazil, an au pair excited to explore a new country, a new culture.

00:38:52Now, Juliana sat in a Virginia jail, awaiting trial for the murder of Joe Ryan.

00:39:00Prosecutor Klingin figured she'd talk.

00:39:02But when almost another year passed?

00:39:05We couldn't understand it.

00:39:06If she's thinking clearly she wants to get back to Brazil, let's find a way to get her to tell

00:39:12us what happened.

00:39:13Klingin believed that whatever happened in that bedroom also involved Brendan Banfield.

00:39:18You have an arrest for the death of Joseph Ryan, but still there's no arrests, no charges in the death

00:39:25of this woman, this wife, this mother, who was brutally stabbed to death in her own bedroom.

00:39:30Is there a sense of pressure at this point?

00:39:33Yeah, definitely.

00:39:35So you were just waiting for her to tell the truth?

00:39:37Yes.

00:39:38And you knew that that truth would very likely implicate Brendan?

00:39:42With the way the evidence was pointing us.

00:39:44In fact, Detective Goodell suspected it wasn't Juliana, but Brendan, who was the mastermind behind the scheme.

00:39:52Brendan, in the course of his law enforcement training, knows how investigations work.

00:39:57And in addition to that, he knows about computers.

00:40:02So in a sense, the staging of the crime, the digital footprint, knowing how an investigation works, all of that

00:40:08was within his area of expertise.

00:40:10Yes.

00:40:11But they had a problem.

00:40:13How to prove it was not Christine on her devices talking to Joe Ryan.

00:40:17As we started digging into who's home at the time that these messages are sent, we can never say that

00:40:24it wasn't her.

00:40:25We can look at this data and this information and it gives the appearance that it's Christine.

00:40:32Though Brendan and Juliana were not talking to police, investigators would eventually learn they were talking and writing to each

00:40:40other.

00:40:41At one point, Brendan writes her this 14-page letter.

00:40:44It seemed almost as though he was trying to convince her, hey, I'm here with you.

00:40:49Nobody else matters.

00:40:50I'm here on your side.

00:40:52Yeah.

00:40:52Almost love bombing.

00:40:54It looked like he was trying to hold on to her.

00:40:57Brendan wrote,

00:41:10His love bombing seemed to be working.

00:41:13I can take the blame, Juliana wrote to Brendan.

00:41:16I would never do anything to hurt you or against you.

00:41:19What are you all thinking as you're watching this, as you're monitoring this?

00:41:23During this time frame, we discovered that Brendan's mother was paying for everything for Juliana.

00:41:31Juliana would frequently ask, I need more money on my account to make these phone calls.

00:41:36I need commissary money.

00:41:38And we also learned that Brendan's mother was paying for Juliana's attorney.

00:41:43Wow.

00:41:43So, I think there was a lot of loyalty purchased through those actions.

00:41:48Then, in the summer of 2024, the long-delayed forensic report on the blood patterns from the crime scene was

00:41:55ready.

00:41:56And it was big.

00:41:57You can tell by where blood is and the shape of it as a stain how it got there.

00:42:05The expert said certain stains on Brendan were telltale signs that he had attacked Christine.

00:42:12So, in the way that someone who was wielding a knife would typically get blood on them?

00:42:17Yes.

00:42:18The blood spatter was consistent with Brendan being the person that was wielding a knife, attacking Christine, and not Joseph

00:42:27Ryan.

00:42:27So, that was a crucial piece of evidence for you?

00:42:29That was a massive piece of evidence in this case.

00:42:32Once you had an accurate picture of the crime scene, you could then say, it's time to arrest Brendan Banfield.

00:42:37That's exactly what happened.

00:42:38We are today announcing aggravated murder charges against Brendan Banfield for the murder of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph

00:42:47Ryan.

00:42:48In September of 2024, almost 18 months after the brutal killings, police arrested Brendan, marching him right in front of

00:42:56news cameras.

00:42:58That was my idea, because I think the community deserved that.

00:43:01It's something we don't typically do.

00:43:03You wanted people to see him?

00:43:04I wanted people to see him.

00:43:05I wanted people to see that we never gave up on the case.

00:43:08To me, that was an exclamation point moment that we got our guy.

00:43:15Yes.

00:43:17Yes.

00:43:19You're thinking, finally.

00:43:20Finally.

00:43:21He was involved.

00:43:22We couldn't say 100% in how he was involved.

00:43:25But it was just so off from day one.

00:43:27Actually, seeing him arrested, it was like, all of a sudden made everything seem and feel a lot more real.

00:43:34Okay, like, they legitimately, like, have something here.

00:43:39Brendan pleaded not guilty to the murders and was denied bail.

00:43:43You're there waiting for him.

00:43:45Has he changed?

00:43:46Is he talking now?

00:43:47Is he ready to answer questions?

00:43:49No.

00:43:50He exercised his right to remain silent, which is his right to do.

00:43:55Brendan Banfield is not talking.

00:43:57But not too long after that, somebody else is talking.

00:44:01Yes.

00:44:01That's the biggest moment of it all.

00:44:03He said he needed to find the right person to do what he wanted the person to do.

00:44:26Brendan Banfield was now in the same jail as Juliana Perez-Magalaya's, charged with the murders of his wife, Christine,

00:44:33and Joe Ryan.

00:44:35About a month after he's arrested, you get a phone call from Juliana's attorney.

00:44:39Yeah.

00:44:40What does he say?

00:44:41Um, well, that was the best part.

00:44:43He says Juliana wants to have a conversation.

00:44:47She now wants to cooperate with the investigation and give us a proffer of what actually happened on that day.

00:44:53She's ready to tell the truth.

00:44:54She's ready to tell the truth.

00:44:57Detective Goodell was there on a Friday afternoon in October 2024 when Juliana sat down with her lawyer, Prosecutor Klingen,

00:45:04and other investigators.

00:45:06Ms. Juliana Perez, how do I correctly pronounce your last name?

00:45:10Ms. Juliana Perez, how do I correctly pronounce your last name?

00:45:11Over the course of a four-hour statement, the au pair would describe in chilling detail the plan to get

00:45:17rid of Christine and frame Joe Ryan for her murder.

00:45:20She said the seeds were planted when she and Brendan started their affair in August 2022, about six months before

00:45:27the murders.

00:45:27Ms. Juliana Perez, it was just basically hooking up like sexual relationship, then we used to go out together and

00:45:36date and in public places, it was never like real secret.

00:45:41It was almost like fun all the time.

00:45:44Well, not all the time.

00:45:46He kind of complained that every time we went out, he was in one thing for our dates and stuff,

00:45:54and then I was telling him, well, I get 200 bucks a week. What am I supposed to do?

00:46:01Juliana confirmed that Christine seemed completely unaware of the affair.

00:46:06She never asked me any questions whether or not, like, oh, what are you guys doing? Like, why, you know,

00:46:12you guys are always out at the same time?

00:46:14A couple of months later, things took a dark turn during a romantic getaway to New York.

00:46:20He said, I don't want Christine in our lives. I said, what do you mean? And then he said, she's

00:46:28not a good mother. She's being lazy. She's not doing this, not doing that. And as a wife, she's not

00:46:34a good eater.

00:46:35It was clear to Juliana what Brendan meant. He wanted to kill Christine.

00:46:40More than a month before the murder, she said, he laid out his plan. It was carefully orchestrated and cruel.

00:46:48He was like, oh, I know, I heard of a website. It's called FetLife.

00:46:52They worked in concert to create this account to try to lure somebody to the house for this violent encounter

00:46:59in which they would not only kill Christine Banfield, but the male subject that came to the residence.

00:47:04So in the course of giving this proffer, she is confirming your catfish theory.

00:47:08Everything to a T.

00:47:10The scheme took shape with Brendan gaining access to Christine's devices, which Juliana said was easy to do.

00:47:16Normally, once you get home from work, she just like threw her backpack by the door.

00:47:23And then in her backpack was her work stuff and her laptop.

00:47:27They would go and they get the laptop.

00:47:29They go down to the bedroom in the basement and they would open up the chat board.

00:47:34Posing as Anastasia Nine, their next step was to find their fall guy.

00:47:39He said he needed to find a person who likes to play like blood, play with knife and stuff like

00:47:45that, play violent.

00:47:47It didn't take long for Brendan to reel in Joe Ryan.

00:47:51Joe was saying all those things like dirty stuff that he likes to play with blood stuff and do this

00:47:58and that.

00:47:59Joe agreed to bring restraints, rope and a knife to act out what he thought was a consensual encounter.

00:48:06One of the things in this investigation that gets forgotten is Joe Ryan.

00:48:10Joe Ryan was baited and hunted.

00:48:13Yeah.

00:48:13Complete disregard for human life.

00:48:15But even at this late stage of the plan, Juliana said she doubted Brendan would actually go through with it.

00:48:22I still thought, no, he might just like step back the day before.

00:48:27He might just, you know, say, never mind.

00:48:29I'm going to just divorce her, whatever.

00:48:32Juliana said it was Brendan who picked the date for the murders.

00:48:35February 24th, 2023.

00:48:38He knew Christine would have that day off and would be home.

00:48:42Brendan would leave for work as usual.

00:48:45Juliana was to follow soon after, leaving the front door unlocked for Joe.

00:48:50She would take the Banfields little girl, but instead of going to the zoo,

00:48:54they would stay in Juliana's car parked on the street, waiting for Joe to arrive.

00:48:58When I had instructed me before, as soon as he'd see Joe's car, for me to call him, like, right

00:49:05away.

00:49:05Brendan would be waiting at a nearby McDonald's.

00:49:08He just said a few days before he would start going to McDonald's before work.

00:49:15So then on that day, you're going to be weird that it just happened to be going to McDonald's instead

00:49:20of straight to work.

00:49:22After the call from Juliana, Brendan was to drive back to the house.

00:49:26By then, Joe would be inside, upstairs in the bedroom,

00:49:30beginning what he believed was role-playing with a willing Anastasia Nine.

00:49:36But Christine, of course, would have no idea what was happening,

00:49:40why a stranger was suddenly in her bedroom.

00:49:44Who is this person?

00:49:45Absolutely. I mean, it's horrific.

00:49:46Unbeknownst to her that this was going on,

00:49:48he actually thinks it's furthering the whole scenario.

00:49:53Brendan and Juliana were to enter the house through the basement door

00:49:56with his daughter, who would stay in the basement.

00:49:59We would go upstairs or in the master bedroom floor,

00:50:03and then that's when he would start like kind of the argument with Joe

00:50:09because he knew Joe had a knife.

00:50:12But then he would be like, oh, police officer dropped a knife, blah, blah, blah.

00:50:16And then he would just like shoot Joe.

00:50:19Then Brendan was to use Joe's own knife to murder Christine.

00:50:24Tell me the words that he used in terms of how he intended on killing her.

00:50:29Like stabbing her.

00:50:30Did he say where he intended on stabbing her,

00:50:33or how he intended on stabbing her?

00:50:35Yeah, he was playing stabbing her in the neck.

00:50:38That had to have just been shocking for you to just listen to.

00:50:41Yeah, my wife will tell you, I didn't sleep that weekend.

00:50:44Very few people go through their life and see that kind of evil.

00:50:48The diabolical evil.

00:50:51It really shakes you.

00:50:54Juliana agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter

00:50:58in the death of Joe Ryan and testify against Brendan at his trial.

00:51:02In exchange, the prosecutor would recommend the judge sentence her to time served.

00:51:07I think that's the biggest thing for me.

00:51:09This is somebody who was an active participant

00:51:12in a very cold, brutal double murder

00:51:16and who shot a guy dead.

00:51:18Right.

00:51:19This just seems far too lenient.

00:51:22Yeah, so part of what we do as trial lawyers is Monday morning quarterback.

00:51:26No matter whether she served one year or ten years,

00:51:29she's getting deported and she gives us Brendan Banfield.

00:51:33Months later, news outlets would learn about Juliana's disturbing statement.

00:51:37The bulk of these details become public

00:51:41when we got a copy of Juliana's proffer.

00:51:44We were the first to report what she told police

00:51:48and now this story is a bombshell.

00:51:51Juliana had an incredible story to tell.

00:51:55But after so many lies before, would a jury believe her now?

00:52:15January 2026, nearly three years after the murders

00:52:18of Christine Banfield and Joe Ryan,

00:52:21Brendan Banfield's trial began.

00:52:23Let's go ahead and bring the jury in.

00:52:25Christine's friends watched the live stream.

00:52:27What are you thinking just going into this trial?

00:52:30Going into it wasn't necessarily sure what to expect.

00:52:34There's always, like, a little bit of, like, nervousness

00:52:36because what if things don't get presented correctly

00:52:39and somehow he gets off?

00:52:42Steve Descano was the Fairfax County Commonwealth's attorney.

00:52:45The evidence that we were able to gather

00:52:47told a pretty clear story and pretty much matched

00:52:51what Juliana had told us.

00:52:52Including the blood patterns at the scene,

00:52:55the positioning of Joe's body, and the catfishing scheme.

00:52:58Descano's chief deputy, Jenna Sands, led the prosecution,

00:53:01outlining Brendan's plan in her opening statement.

00:53:04He would show up, kill the guy, kill his wife,

00:53:08pretending that it had been that guy.

00:53:11That was the plan.

00:53:13They put it into action.

00:53:15To prove her case, she put on a blood spatter expert

00:53:18who testified about the drops of blood on Brendan.

00:53:21I observed what appears to be small blood droplets on his arm.

00:53:27According to the prosecution,

00:53:29that meant those blood droplets had fallen from the knife

00:53:32as Brendan stabbed Christine.

00:53:35And the blood puts Brendan Banfield standing over Christine,

00:53:39stabbing her in the neck until she died.

00:53:43So the blood is really what told the story of this crime scene.

00:53:46Absolutely.

00:53:47But the full story of that morning

00:53:49would come from the prosecutor's star witness, Juliana.

00:53:53She was able to put us in the room.

00:53:56She was able to tell us what happened.

00:53:58She was able to give us the reasons why.

00:54:01As Juliana entered court,

00:54:03reporter Drew Wilder noticed Brendan's reaction.

00:54:06He just watches her glide across the courtroom floor

00:54:11all the way to the witness stand.

00:54:12He could not take his eyes off of her.

00:54:16Juliana told the jury how her relationship with Brendan

00:54:19turned sexual,

00:54:20and how he talked about ending his marriage to Christine.

00:54:23He used to say that

00:54:26he, um,

00:54:28she didn't seem to care about

00:54:30where he was, what he was doing.

00:54:33She didn't seem to care about him at all.

00:54:35Did he ever talk about getting a divorce with her?

00:54:38No.

00:54:40He basically said divorce was not an option.

00:54:43What did he say?

00:54:45He mentioned his plan to get rid of her.

00:54:47And Brendan decided Juliana was going to help.

00:54:51According to prosecutors,

00:54:53he bought her a gun and taught her how to shoot it.

00:54:55At the end of October of 2022,

00:54:59did you visit a shooting range?

00:55:02Yes.

00:55:04Prosecutors showed the jury this photo

00:55:06Brendan took of Juliana in action.

00:55:08There are any number of experiences

00:55:10that a host dad may have with an au pair.

00:55:13Going to a gun range is not necessarily one of them.

00:55:15No, he had never been to the range with his wife.

00:55:19He himself hadn't been to the range for months.

00:55:22So this was not a regular occurrence that he thought,

00:55:25oh, hey, I'll bring my new friend along to help me with.

00:55:27What unfolded on that February day,

00:55:29Juliana said,

00:55:30went exactly according to plan.

00:55:33Christine was in bed while Brendan got up early.

00:55:35He turned off Christine's phone

00:55:37and hid it in a drawer

00:55:38so she couldn't call for help.

00:55:40Then he drove to McDonald's.

00:55:42So as Brendan waited in the bathroom of McDonald's,

00:55:46he waited for Juliana to make a call.

00:55:48When Juliana was in the driveway

00:55:50with the Banfield's child,

00:55:52ostensibly going to go to the zoo that day.

00:55:55But in reality,

00:55:56she was just waiting for Joe Ryan to show up.

00:55:58Once Juliana called Brendan,

00:56:00he returned to the house.

00:56:01Then he took his daughter into the basement

00:56:03and headed upstairs with Juliana

00:56:05to find Christine and Joe.

00:56:07When I got up to the bathroom,

00:56:09Brendan said,

00:56:13he yelled,

00:56:15police officer.

00:56:16Then she yelled back at Brendan,

00:56:18saying,

00:56:19Brendan, he has a knife.

00:56:20That's when Brendan first shot Joe.

00:56:24Juliana said Christine screamed

00:56:26and turned to her with a command.

00:56:28She said my name.

00:56:30She told me,

00:56:32Juliana, call 911.

00:56:33That's when Juliana made that first

00:56:35brief call to 911.

00:56:37But that wasn't part of Brendan's plan.

00:56:40So he motioned to her to hang up

00:56:41and asked her to grab a towel

00:56:43from the bathroom.

00:56:45When I was bringing him the towel,

00:56:48he got on top of her.

00:56:50And

00:56:52that's when I first saw him

00:56:56stabbing her with a knife.

00:56:58Where in her body was he stabbing her?

00:57:01Her neck.

00:57:03Amidst the chaotic,

00:57:05bloody scene,

00:57:06Juliana said she noticed something.

00:57:08I'm telling Brendan

00:57:10that

00:57:12Joe is moving.

00:57:14He's behind you.

00:57:16And

00:57:16that's when I

00:57:18fired the

00:57:19shot too.

00:57:21Who did it?

00:57:22Joe.

00:57:24Joe Ryan was dead.

00:57:26Juliana said Brendan

00:57:27kept stabbing Christine.

00:57:29He was still

00:57:33stabbed in Christine

00:57:35and he got her blood

00:57:38in a

00:57:39handful of blood

00:57:43and

00:57:45he starts

00:57:46dripping

00:57:48on

00:57:49Joe's body.

00:57:52After he stabbed Christine

00:57:54seven times,

00:57:55Brendan staged the scene

00:57:57to make it look like

00:57:58Joe had done it,

00:57:59moving Joe's body

00:58:00into that strange

00:58:01funeral pose

00:58:02with his arms folded.

00:58:03He then asked Juliana

00:58:05to call 911

00:58:06the second time.

00:58:07The au pair

00:58:08had told a

00:58:09harrowing tale.

00:58:11Still,

00:58:11Juliana wasn't done.

00:58:13In fact,

00:58:14the fireworks

00:58:14were just about

00:58:16to begin.

00:58:17I was nervous

00:58:17for her

00:58:18about cross-examination.

00:58:19You were charged

00:58:20with murder

00:58:21because you shot

00:58:21someone.

00:58:22Am I wrong?

00:58:38Brendan Banfield's au pair

00:58:40and lover

00:58:41had told the jury

00:58:42a chilling story

00:58:43of what happened

00:58:44in his bedroom

00:58:44that morning.

00:58:45But she wasn't

00:58:46off the stand

00:58:47just yet.

00:58:48Juliana

00:58:49was the linchpin

00:58:50of the prosecution's case.

00:58:52Kristen Gibbons-Fedden

00:58:54is an attorney

00:58:54and legal analyst

00:58:55for NBC News.

00:58:57But the defense

00:58:57was really effective

00:58:59in trying to kind of

00:58:59poke holes in her

00:59:01and really try to

00:59:02neutralize Juliana

00:59:03as a witness.

00:59:04All right,

00:59:04cross-examination.

00:59:06Brendan's defense attorney,

00:59:07John Carroll,

00:59:08zeroed in

00:59:09on that plea agreement.

00:59:10The so-called

00:59:11sweetheart deal

00:59:12meant she might

00:59:13walk free

00:59:14once the trial

00:59:14was over.

00:59:15They came to her,

00:59:16they went through

00:59:17her attorney,

00:59:18and they offered

00:59:20that deal

00:59:21that she now

00:59:22stands

00:59:25to have taken.

00:59:26The defense argued

00:59:27that Juliana

00:59:28only changed

00:59:29her story

00:59:29after a year

00:59:30to save her skin

00:59:31and avoid

00:59:32her own murder trial.

00:59:34Are you asking

00:59:34the ladies and gentlemen

00:59:35of the jury

00:59:36to believe

00:59:37that you came out

00:59:38during that time frame

00:59:41because you wanted

00:59:42the truth to be known

00:59:46versus any time

00:59:47the year before that?

00:59:58The defense attorney

00:59:59peppered her

00:59:59with questions

01:00:00about specific

01:00:01moments in her story

01:00:02like when those

01:00:03chats on the

01:00:03fetish website

01:00:04happened

01:00:04and who typed them.

01:00:06Was it Juliana

01:00:07or Brendan?

01:00:08I do not remember.

01:00:09Again,

01:00:09I do not remember that.

01:00:11In fact,

01:00:12on more than

01:00:1240 occasions,

01:00:14her memory

01:00:14seemed to fail her.

01:00:16Well,

01:00:16I do not remember.

01:00:18I said I don't remember.

01:00:19How can I tell you?

01:00:21I do not remember

01:00:22the date.

01:00:24I mean,

01:00:25with all due respect,

01:00:26you don't remember

01:00:27a lot of details.

01:00:29Yeah.

01:00:29So her selective memory

01:00:30was something

01:00:31that the defense

01:00:32effectively capitalized on

01:00:33in order to neutralize

01:00:35Juliana

01:00:36to show the jury

01:00:37that she just

01:00:37cannot be believed.

01:00:39But the defense

01:00:40landed its biggest blow

01:00:41with this.

01:00:43Juliana was looking

01:00:44to profit

01:00:44from her story.

01:00:46Streaming outlets

01:00:47What's Not the Tale

01:00:47was made for TV.

01:00:49One even offered

01:00:50to pay her

01:00:50for an interview.

01:00:52The attorney

01:00:52had Juliana read

01:00:54emails she'd written

01:00:55to her mother

01:00:55in Brazil.

01:00:56Can you read

01:00:58the highlighted portion

01:00:59to the ladies and gentlemen

01:01:00on the jury?

01:01:01Yes.

01:01:02It says,

01:01:03working in the right.

01:01:04I had a video call

01:01:05with the producer

01:01:06and they wanted

01:01:07to make a movie,

01:01:08a documentary

01:01:08about my case.

01:01:09So I was thinking

01:01:10about $10,000,

01:01:12which would be

01:01:13around $55,000

01:01:15in her money.

01:01:17Helps and it's good.

01:01:18But I want to negotiate.

01:01:19Well, I have to think

01:01:20I know I can make

01:01:20even more than

01:01:22$25,000.

01:01:24So now,

01:01:25not only

01:01:26does she reap

01:01:27the benefits

01:01:27of the plea agreement

01:01:28if she gets up here

01:01:29and tells whatever story

01:01:30that she's telling,

01:01:31she's also got some money

01:01:32waiting for her

01:01:33on the back end

01:01:33when she gets out of here.

01:01:35That

01:01:35has to tell the jury

01:01:37that this witness,

01:01:39the star witness

01:01:40of the prosecution

01:01:42is a little tainted.

01:01:44How was this playing

01:01:44in the courtroom?

01:01:45It didn't look good.

01:01:47Juliana ended

01:01:48that letter to her mom

01:01:49with these words,

01:01:51we do deserve something.

01:01:53And what is it

01:01:54you deserve something for?

01:01:56For what I want to be through?

01:01:58You were charged

01:01:59with murder

01:01:59because you shot someone.

01:02:04Am I wrong?

01:02:06No, I don't.

01:02:08And so why would

01:02:10you deserve something

01:02:11because of that?

01:02:12He was able to

01:02:14automatically

01:02:14switch the script

01:02:16on her

01:02:16and turn

01:02:18Juliana,

01:02:18the prosecution's witness,

01:02:21into a cold-blooded

01:02:22killer.

01:02:23What did you think

01:02:24of Juliana's testimony?

01:02:25I think she came off

01:02:26callous.

01:02:27Yeah.

01:02:28Did she seem to give off

01:02:28any feelings of

01:02:30I'm scared,

01:02:31I hate that I did this,

01:02:33I'm remorseful,

01:02:33I got caught up in this?

01:02:35No, not at all.

01:02:35Can't believe I was so stupid.

01:02:37I don't think,

01:02:39I don't think I saw

01:02:39any ounce of remorse.

01:02:41Once Juliana

01:02:42stepped down,

01:02:43Brendan's defense attorney

01:02:44attacked the core theory

01:02:46of the prosecution's case,

01:02:48catfishing.

01:02:49Catfishing is a theory

01:02:50that requires

01:02:54a conclusion that

01:02:57Christine Banfield

01:02:58gave up her devices.

01:03:00Carol called

01:03:00Brendan Miller,

01:03:01the detective who

01:03:02originally examined

01:03:03Christine's laptop

01:03:04and phone.

01:03:05I was the

01:03:06digital forensics

01:03:07examiner

01:03:08for this case.

01:03:09The defense

01:03:10showed the jury

01:03:10the detective's report

01:03:11where he noted

01:03:12he found no evidence

01:03:14of catfishing

01:03:14in the case.

01:03:15What were your

01:03:16conclusions in your

01:03:17executive summary

01:03:18that you wrote?

01:03:19That based on

01:03:20the digital evidence

01:03:21I had at the time

01:03:22and the facts

01:03:23known at the time

01:03:24it indicated

01:03:25that the device owner

01:03:26was responsible

01:03:27for the activity

01:03:28on the device.

01:03:30And that device owner?

01:03:33Christine Banfield.

01:03:35The detective said

01:03:37Christine's laptop

01:03:37and phone were

01:03:38often active

01:03:39at the same time.

01:03:40One used to access

01:03:42the fetish site,

01:03:43the other to shop

01:03:44for things Christine

01:03:45had an interest in.

01:03:46This was a pivotal

01:03:48point because essentially

01:03:49what this means

01:03:49is that there was

01:03:50no mastermind homicide

01:03:51and that in fact

01:03:52Joseph Ryan did come

01:03:53there and murdered

01:03:54Christine Banfield.

01:03:56But the detective's report

01:03:57didn't sit well

01:03:58with leadership

01:03:59in the police department.

01:04:00According to

01:04:01Brendan's attorney,

01:04:02he called former

01:04:03commander Patrick Bruch.

01:04:04What was it like

01:04:05being on the stand?

01:04:06I mean,

01:04:06having to testify?

01:04:07I'd say it's highly

01:04:08unusual for the defense

01:04:09to call a deputy chief,

01:04:11particularly one

01:04:12that didn't have

01:04:13direct interaction

01:04:14in any sort of interview

01:04:15or collect any evidence

01:04:16in a case such as this.

01:04:19Bruch testified

01:04:19that he reviewed

01:04:20Detective Miller's

01:04:21report on the forensics.

01:04:23And so his conclusions

01:04:26were not agreeable

01:04:27to you?

01:04:28I wouldn't word

01:04:29that that way.

01:04:30How would you word it?

01:04:31I would,

01:04:32I would worry

01:04:33that his analysis

01:04:34was incorrect.

01:04:36Bruch asked

01:04:37that Detective Miller

01:04:38be removed

01:04:38from the case

01:04:39and he wasn't

01:04:40the only one.

01:04:42Carroll said

01:04:42other detectives

01:04:43were taken off

01:04:44the case too.

01:04:45The important ones

01:04:46that were removed

01:04:47in part because

01:04:49they didn't agree

01:04:49with the people

01:04:50that peddled

01:04:51the catfish theory.

01:04:53John Carroll's saying

01:04:54that inside

01:04:55Fairfax County Police,

01:04:56if you weren't

01:04:57behind the catfish theory,

01:04:59we're getting you

01:05:00out of the way.

01:05:01He's painting

01:05:01a pretty bad picture

01:05:02of this department.

01:05:03It looks messy.

01:05:05It looks really messy.

01:05:06John Carroll's theme

01:05:07was very clear.

01:05:08This case is about

01:05:09confirmation bias.

01:05:11And by confirmation bias,

01:05:13what he means

01:05:13is that the prosecutors

01:05:14had in mind

01:05:15the story

01:05:16that they wanted

01:05:17to tell.

01:05:18And the story

01:05:18that they wanted

01:05:19to tell was that

01:05:19Brendan Banfield

01:05:20was the mastermind

01:05:22behind these

01:05:23double homicides.

01:05:24The defense attorney

01:05:25had tried to knock

01:05:26down two pillars

01:05:27of the case

01:05:28against Brendan,

01:05:29Juliana's testimony

01:05:30and that catfishing theory.

01:05:32But he had another

01:05:34witness up his sleeve.

01:05:35The attorney called

01:05:36Brendan Banfield.

01:05:52Mr. Banfield,

01:05:53if you want to go ahead

01:05:54and take the stand.

01:05:55Was that a surprise?

01:05:57We had a feeling

01:05:58Brendan was going

01:05:59to take the stand,

01:05:59but it's always a surprise

01:06:00when a defendant

01:06:01takes the stand

01:06:02in their own defense.

01:06:03Brendan's attorney

01:06:03started by asking him

01:06:05about Christine

01:06:05and their life together.

01:06:07Brendan said

01:06:08they'd met in college

01:06:09when they were both 18

01:06:10and had been together

01:06:11ever since.

01:06:12For the most part,

01:06:13we were pretty inseparable.

01:06:15We didn't break up

01:06:17at any point.

01:06:19Did you love your wife?

01:06:20Very much.

01:06:22Did you want to continue

01:06:23your marriage

01:06:23with your wife?

01:06:25Yes.

01:06:26He was able to testify

01:06:29about his love

01:06:31for Christine Banfield,

01:06:33which I think

01:06:33was very effective.

01:06:35Still, Brendan admitted

01:06:36he was no perfect husband.

01:06:38He confessed to sleeping

01:06:40with other women

01:06:41during their marriage,

01:06:41but said Christine

01:06:43had been unfaithful as well.

01:06:44Were you aware

01:06:45of her affairs?

01:06:46Yes, I was also aware

01:06:48that she had affairs.

01:06:51Brendan said

01:06:52his affair with Juliana

01:06:53began in August 2022

01:06:55when Christine

01:06:56was out of town.

01:06:58Juliana and Brendan

01:06:59were in the kitchen,

01:07:00he said,

01:07:00and she started telling him

01:07:01about her time

01:07:02on the dating apps.

01:07:04During this time,

01:07:06she,

01:07:09when she was

01:07:10talking about

01:07:11different people,

01:07:12she was

01:07:14described

01:07:14people that she

01:07:16was interested in,

01:07:17people that were

01:07:17taller,

01:07:18people that were

01:07:19older,

01:07:20and it appeared

01:07:21to me that she was,

01:07:23along with the photos,

01:07:25the screenshots

01:07:25that she had shown me

01:07:26of people that she

01:07:27had matched with,

01:07:28that she was

01:07:30basically describing me.

01:07:34Also,

01:07:35I guess,

01:07:36when we were having

01:07:36this conversation,

01:07:37we were sitting

01:07:38at the,

01:07:39at the island

01:07:41in the kitchen,

01:07:45and she

01:07:48scooted her seat

01:07:50closer to mine

01:07:52a couple times.

01:07:53And so,

01:07:54what did you do

01:07:55at that point?

01:07:56I did not

01:07:59stop her advances.

01:08:00She came with me

01:08:02into my bedroom.

01:08:04He effectively

01:08:06painted to the jury

01:08:07that Juliana

01:08:08was someone

01:08:09who was

01:08:10overly,

01:08:12overtly,

01:08:13and

01:08:15intentionally

01:08:15obsessed with him.

01:08:17He essentially

01:08:17painted her

01:08:18as the aggressor

01:08:19in this relationship.

01:08:21He admitted

01:08:22their sexual

01:08:23relationship

01:08:23continued for

01:08:24months after that,

01:08:25but he said

01:08:26it was just a fling,

01:08:28nothing more.

01:08:28Did you ever

01:08:29create any sort

01:08:30of a plan

01:08:31with Juliana?

01:08:32No,

01:08:34there was

01:08:35no plan

01:08:36that

01:08:38is

01:08:38absolutely

01:08:39crazy.

01:08:40What's more,

01:08:41he said,

01:08:42he'd never heard

01:08:42of Joe Ryan

01:08:43or the FetLife

01:08:44website

01:08:45until after

01:08:46the murders,

01:08:46and he insisted

01:08:48he was never

01:08:49into rough sex,

01:08:50but Christine

01:08:51was.

01:08:52I know that

01:08:53Christine had

01:08:54an affair

01:08:55where

01:08:56she was

01:08:57involved

01:08:58in a

01:08:59BDSM

01:09:00relationship

01:09:01for

01:09:03a month

01:09:04or two.

01:09:05And how

01:09:05did you

01:09:06know

01:09:07to talk

01:09:08to her

01:09:08about that?

01:09:09I observed

01:09:10her with

01:09:12bruises,

01:09:13several of

01:09:14them

01:09:15on her body

01:09:16that I

01:09:17was unaware

01:09:18that she had

01:09:19previously.

01:09:21Brendan then

01:09:22gave his

01:09:22account of

01:09:23what happened

01:09:23on that

01:09:24February

01:09:24morning in

01:09:252023.

01:09:26He said

01:09:27at that

01:09:27point,

01:09:27his affair

01:09:28with Juliana

01:09:28was the

01:09:29last thing

01:09:30on his

01:09:30mind.

01:09:30He was

01:09:31more focused

01:09:31on work,

01:09:32headed to

01:09:33a big

01:09:33meeting with

01:09:33his boss

01:09:34at the

01:09:34IRS.

01:09:35That meeting

01:09:36was scheduled

01:09:37for 930

01:09:38that day.

01:09:39This was

01:09:40a particularly

01:09:41important meeting

01:09:43for me.

01:09:43He said

01:09:44everything changed

01:09:45when he was

01:09:45at McDonald's,

01:09:46and Juliana

01:09:47called him,

01:09:48saying there

01:09:48was a strange

01:09:49car in the

01:09:50driveway.

01:09:51So he drove

01:09:51back home,

01:09:52secured his

01:09:53daughter in

01:09:53the basement,

01:09:54and headed

01:09:54upstairs to

01:09:55the bedroom.

01:09:56Then he

01:09:57heard noises.

01:09:57I was

01:09:58emotional at

01:09:59that point.

01:10:02While

01:10:03Christine and

01:10:03I had

01:10:04had affairs,

01:10:06we had

01:10:07never seen

01:10:09each other

01:10:09with anyone.

01:10:11Hearing what I

01:10:12thought was

01:10:12sex was

01:10:17upsetting.

01:10:18But he

01:10:19said as he

01:10:19opened the

01:10:20door, he

01:10:20saw something

01:10:21much more

01:10:22frightening.

01:10:22Joe Ryan

01:10:24was behind

01:10:27her, looking

01:10:29directly at

01:10:30me as I

01:10:31opened the

01:10:31door.

01:10:32Brendan said

01:10:33that's when he

01:10:34took action

01:10:35and yelled

01:10:35police.

01:10:36Christine said,

01:10:38Brendan, he

01:10:39has a knife.

01:10:41Brendan testified

01:10:42he then told

01:10:43Joe to drop

01:10:44the knife.

01:10:45And what

01:10:46was his

01:10:46response?

01:10:47He told me

01:10:47to drop

01:10:48my gun.

01:10:49What were

01:10:50you thinking

01:10:50in terms of

01:10:53Joe Ryan

01:10:54with a

01:10:54knife to

01:10:54Christine's

01:10:55neck?

01:10:57I was

01:10:59extremely

01:11:00terrified.

01:11:04I don't

01:11:04know that

01:11:05I've ever

01:11:05been more

01:11:06panicked in

01:11:07my life.

01:11:08And so

01:11:09what were

01:11:09you thinking

01:11:10that you

01:11:10needed to

01:11:11do?

01:11:11I was

01:11:12hoping to

01:11:12de-escalate

01:11:14the situation.

01:11:15I did not

01:11:15want to

01:11:16shoot him.

01:11:17Christine

01:11:18began moaning,

01:11:19he said,

01:11:19and that's

01:11:20when he

01:11:20realized Joe

01:11:21had stabbed

01:11:21her twice.

01:11:23It appeared

01:11:24that he

01:11:25did a

01:11:26very forceful

01:11:28stab

01:11:29towards

01:11:30Christine,

01:11:31and

01:11:32Christine

01:11:34kind of

01:11:35spun

01:11:36away from

01:11:37him.

01:11:38This kind

01:11:39of had

01:11:39Joe now

01:11:42like on

01:11:44his knees

01:11:45knees kind

01:11:46of facing

01:11:47Christine,

01:11:48of which I

01:11:50saw him

01:11:50do a

01:11:52downward

01:11:53stabbing

01:11:54stroke,

01:11:55and that's

01:11:55when I

01:11:56fired at

01:11:56him.

01:11:58After he

01:11:59shot Joe,

01:11:59Brendan said

01:12:00he then

01:12:01placed his

01:12:01hands on

01:12:02Christine's

01:12:02neck to

01:12:03try and

01:12:03stop the

01:12:04bleeding.

01:12:05Christine

01:12:06told me

01:12:06that she

01:12:07was bleeding

01:12:08out and

01:12:10that she

01:12:16was sorry

01:12:17and that

01:12:17she loved

01:12:18me.

01:12:20And what

01:12:21did you

01:12:21tell her?

01:12:25It was

01:12:26at this

01:12:26point that

01:12:28there was

01:12:28another shot.

01:12:33and I

01:12:34looked up

01:12:34and I

01:12:34saw that

01:12:35Juliana

01:12:36had my

01:12:36other

01:12:36firearm

01:12:38and

01:12:41I

01:12:44was

01:12:44stunned

01:12:45that

01:12:46Juliana

01:12:47had shot.

01:12:48With

01:12:48Joe dead

01:12:49and Christine

01:12:50fighting for

01:12:50her life,

01:12:51he told

01:12:51Juliana to

01:12:52call 911.

01:12:54It was

01:12:56a situation

01:12:57I was

01:12:57never

01:12:58expecting.

01:13:00never

01:13:01expected to

01:13:02be in.

01:13:04We never

01:13:04want anyone

01:13:05to be in.

01:13:05With that,

01:13:06it was time

01:13:07for cross

01:13:07examination

01:13:08and prosecutors

01:13:09were ready.

01:13:10It was

01:13:11fantastic.

01:13:12We knew

01:13:12that he was

01:13:13lying.

01:13:14It was

01:13:14really quite

01:13:15a gift.

01:13:15Would it

01:13:16be enough

01:13:16to swing

01:13:17the jury?

01:13:33Christine's

01:13:33friends

01:13:34couldn't

01:13:34believe

01:13:34what they

01:13:35heard coming

01:13:35out of

01:13:36Brendan's

01:13:36mouth at

01:13:37trial.

01:13:38When

01:13:38Brendan

01:13:38took the

01:13:39stand,

01:13:39he was

01:13:40like on a

01:13:41smear

01:13:41campaign,

01:13:42I feel

01:13:42like,

01:13:42of Christine.

01:13:43Yeah.

01:13:44His testimony

01:13:45was the

01:13:46most difficult.

01:13:47I had to

01:13:48mute it

01:13:48sometimes.

01:13:49I was

01:13:49annoyed.

01:13:50I was

01:13:51very annoyed.

01:13:52He said

01:13:53that Christine

01:13:53had had

01:13:54prior affairs.

01:13:55He said

01:13:56that Christine

01:13:56had been

01:13:58involved in

01:13:58BDSM

01:13:59lifestyle.

01:14:00Investigators

01:14:01say that

01:14:01they found

01:14:01no evidence

01:14:02that either

01:14:03of those

01:14:03things were

01:14:03true.

01:14:04What do

01:14:05you think

01:14:05he was

01:14:05trying to

01:14:06do there?

01:14:06Well,

01:14:07he wanted

01:14:07to make

01:14:07it more

01:14:08plausible

01:14:08that Christine

01:14:09had solicited

01:14:10Joseph Ryan

01:14:10to come to

01:14:11the home

01:14:12for a fake

01:14:12rape scenario.

01:14:13On cross

01:14:14examination,

01:14:14the prosecutor

01:14:15turned the

01:14:15focus back

01:14:16to Brendan's

01:14:17affairs.

01:14:18One of those

01:14:19affairs was

01:14:20with a woman

01:14:20named Danielle

01:14:21who you met

01:14:23on a fetish

01:14:24site searching

01:14:25for sugar

01:14:26babies.

01:14:26Is that

01:14:26correct?

01:14:29I would

01:14:30not call

01:14:31it a fetish

01:14:31site.

01:14:32Okay.

01:14:33What would

01:14:33you call

01:14:34it?

01:14:37An

01:14:38arranged

01:14:39relationship.

01:14:40What did

01:14:41that tell

01:14:41you about

01:14:42him?

01:14:42Well,

01:14:43first and

01:14:43foremost,

01:14:44that he

01:14:44was familiar

01:14:44with using

01:14:45the internet

01:14:45to find

01:14:46relationships,

01:14:47which we

01:14:48did not

01:14:48have any

01:14:49evidence of

01:14:49his wife

01:14:50having done.

01:14:50It showed

01:14:51that he

01:14:51has a

01:14:52habit of

01:14:52going on

01:14:53to some

01:14:53sites like

01:14:54these.

01:14:54He was

01:14:55at least

01:14:55familiar

01:14:55with it.

01:14:56The

01:14:57prosecutor

01:14:57also showed

01:14:58the jury

01:14:58all those

01:14:59love letters

01:14:59Brendan had

01:15:00written to

01:15:01Juliana

01:15:01after she'd

01:15:02been arrested.

01:15:03In this

01:15:03one,

01:15:04you're

01:15:04discussing

01:15:04baby names

01:15:05for your

01:15:05future children

01:15:06with her?

01:15:07That is

01:15:08something that

01:15:08you wanted

01:15:09to talk

01:15:09about?

01:15:09What I

01:15:10wanted to

01:15:10prove through

01:15:11those letters

01:15:11was that

01:15:12he loved

01:15:13Juliana and

01:15:14that he

01:15:14loved her

01:15:15enough to

01:15:15kill for

01:15:16her.

01:15:16You're

01:15:16making it

01:15:17clear,

01:15:17this is

01:15:17not just

01:15:17another

01:15:18random

01:15:18fling.

01:15:19Exactly.

01:15:20Jenna Sands

01:15:21also pointed

01:15:21out a big

01:15:22problem with

01:15:23Brendan's

01:15:23account of

01:15:24that morning.

01:15:24The medical

01:15:25examiner

01:15:26identified

01:15:26seven stab

01:15:27wounds on

01:15:28Christine,

01:15:28but Brendan

01:15:29said he only

01:15:30saw Joe

01:15:30stab her

01:15:31twice.

01:15:32I'm only

01:15:33positive of

01:15:34the two.

01:15:35Okay,

01:15:35so you've

01:15:35got two,

01:15:36so there's

01:15:36five more.

01:15:38When did

01:15:39he stab

01:15:39her those

01:15:39other five

01:15:40times?

01:15:42The knife

01:15:43is inside

01:15:44of her

01:15:44hair.

01:15:44I can't

01:15:45tell the

01:15:45movement.

01:15:46I can't

01:15:46tell how

01:15:47that is

01:15:48looking at

01:15:50that time.

01:15:51Of course,

01:15:52prosecutors

01:15:52were convinced

01:15:53it was

01:15:53Brendan who

01:15:54stabbed his

01:15:55wife all

01:15:55seven times.

01:15:57After an

01:15:57hour of

01:15:58questions,

01:15:58Sands

01:15:58concluded her

01:15:59cross-examination.

01:16:00Nothing

01:16:01further touched.

01:16:02But she

01:16:02had one

01:16:03more witness

01:16:03waiting in

01:16:04the wings,

01:16:04someone who

01:16:05could refute a

01:16:06key part of

01:16:07Brendan's story,

01:16:08that big work

01:16:09meeting he

01:16:09said he

01:16:09had the

01:16:10morning of

01:16:10the murders.

01:16:12On the

01:16:12morning after

01:16:14Mr. Banfield

01:16:15had testified,

01:16:16I received a

01:16:17phone call from

01:16:18the office letting

01:16:19me know that

01:16:20there was an

01:16:20IRS agent who

01:16:21was not

01:16:22subpoenaed in

01:16:23the office to

01:16:24see me.

01:16:24And I spoke

01:16:25with him and

01:16:25he said,

01:16:26hi, I'm

01:16:26Mr. Smith and

01:16:27I am Mr.

01:16:28Banfield's

01:16:28supervisor and

01:16:29I'd just like

01:16:29you to know

01:16:30that there

01:16:30was no

01:16:30meeting.

01:16:31This is

01:16:32like a

01:16:32gift.

01:16:32Oh my

01:16:33gosh,

01:16:33it was

01:16:33crazy.

01:16:34Did you

01:16:34have any

01:16:35plans for

01:16:35the morning

01:16:36of February

01:16:3724th,

01:16:382023?

01:16:39I did.

01:16:40I was in

01:16:41Baltimore on

01:16:42unrelated

01:16:42undercover

01:16:43operation on

01:16:44that morning.

01:16:45Were you

01:16:45scheduled to

01:16:46meet with

01:16:46Mr.

01:16:46Banfield?

01:16:47I was not.

01:16:48That had to

01:16:48have been quite

01:16:49a moment for

01:16:50you to be

01:16:50able to put

01:16:51him on the

01:16:51stand and

01:16:52say he was

01:16:53lying.

01:16:53It was

01:16:53fantastic.

01:16:54We knew that

01:16:56he was lying.

01:16:57We didn't have

01:16:57any way to

01:16:58prove it.

01:16:58We had spoken

01:16:59to a number

01:16:59of people at

01:17:00the IRS who

01:17:01had given us

01:17:01similar information.

01:17:02We didn't know

01:17:04that Banfield was

01:17:05going to come

01:17:05out with the

01:17:06I had a

01:17:07meeting that

01:17:08I was rushing

01:17:08to story.

01:17:09So when

01:17:10Mr. Smith

01:17:11showed up,

01:17:12it was really

01:17:13quite a gift.

01:17:14Now the jury

01:17:15would decide

01:17:16Brendan's fate.

01:17:17How did you

01:17:18feel when the

01:17:19jury got the

01:17:19case?

01:17:20It was

01:17:20difficult.

01:17:21Like,

01:17:22you're just

01:17:23literally waiting

01:17:24like on

01:17:24pins and

01:17:24needles.

01:17:26After nine

01:17:27hours of

01:17:28deliberations,

01:17:29Brendan stood

01:17:31stoically as

01:17:33the clerk read

01:17:33the verdict.

01:17:34We, the jury

01:17:35on the issue

01:17:35joined in the

01:17:36case of the

01:17:36Commonwealth of

01:17:37Virginia versus

01:17:38Brendan Robert

01:17:38Banfield,

01:17:39defendant,

01:17:40find the

01:17:40defendant guilty

01:17:41of aggravated

01:17:42murder of

01:17:43Joseph Ryan

01:17:44and Christine

01:17:44Banfield as

01:17:45part of the

01:17:46same act.

01:17:48So, jury

01:17:49comes back

01:17:50guilty on all

01:17:50counts.

01:17:51It was very

01:17:53gratifying, but

01:17:54it just is a

01:17:55reflection of how

01:17:56good of a job

01:17:57the detectives and

01:17:58the trial team did

01:17:59getting the

01:18:00evidence in,

01:18:01getting it ready

01:18:01to go.

01:18:02Chief Davis was

01:18:03also proud of his

01:18:04department's work.

01:18:05He says internal

01:18:06disagreements over

01:18:07the case were

01:18:08overblown by the

01:18:09defense.

01:18:10I think the

01:18:11defense counsel

01:18:11represented it as

01:18:13unhealthy and

01:18:14dysfunctional because

01:18:15he had a very

01:18:16guilty client and

01:18:17he was in the

01:18:18fourth quarter,

01:18:19two minute drill

01:18:19of his defense and

01:18:21he started to

01:18:21throw Hail Marys.

01:18:22Even the detective

01:18:24who originally

01:18:24doubted the

01:18:25catfish theory

01:18:26changed his opinion

01:18:27after he heard

01:18:28Juliana's story.

01:18:30For Christine's

01:18:31friends, Katie and

01:18:31Marissa, the jury's

01:18:33decision brought a

01:18:34sigh of relief.

01:18:35I'm glad they

01:18:35finally saw what

01:18:36all the rest of

01:18:37us had seen,

01:18:39thought, heard

01:18:40for the past

01:18:40three years.

01:18:41Marissa, how

01:18:42about you?

01:18:43It was surreal.

01:18:44It was surreal.

01:18:45It felt like a

01:18:48finality, but then

01:18:49again, not.

01:18:49Why?

01:18:50What I've told

01:18:51people is that at

01:18:53the end of the day,

01:18:53Christine's still

01:18:54going to be gone.

01:18:57Her daughter's going

01:18:57to miss all of

01:18:58these memories with

01:18:59her, it's not

01:19:01true justice, it's

01:19:02just justice in the

01:19:03sense of the legal

01:19:04word, and that's

01:19:05it.

01:19:05Christine's daughter

01:19:06is now eight years

01:19:07old, living with

01:19:08extended family.

01:19:10A few days after

01:19:11Brendan's conviction,

01:19:12Juliana faced her

01:19:13own sentencing.

01:19:14Juliana had pleaded

01:19:16guilty to manslaughter

01:19:17for shooting Joe

01:19:18Ryan.

01:19:19Joseph Ryan was a

01:19:21true victim.

01:19:22Joseph Ryan thought

01:19:24that he was walking

01:19:26into a consensual

01:19:30role play, and he

01:19:32didn't realize he was

01:19:33actually walking into

01:19:34his own death.

01:19:35He was an unwitting

01:19:36pawn in all of this.

01:19:38They played him.

01:19:39That deal, Juliana

01:19:41struck with prosecutors,

01:19:42meant she might be

01:19:43released to head home

01:19:44to Brazil right after

01:19:45court.

01:19:46Joe's mother, Deirdre

01:19:48Fisher, addressed the

01:19:49court via Zoom and

01:19:50pleaded for that to

01:19:51not happen.

01:19:52Do I think or dare

01:19:53hope that there will

01:19:55be justice for Joe's

01:19:56death, for my loss

01:20:00as his mother?

01:20:03I don't believe that's

01:20:05possible.

01:20:06Then the judge spoke.

01:20:07The plan did not work

01:20:09without your full

01:20:10involvement.

01:20:11Your actions were

01:20:11deliberate, self-serving,

01:20:13and demonstrated a

01:20:14profound disregard for

01:20:15human life.

01:20:16That is the most serious

01:20:17manslaughter scenario

01:20:18that the court has ever

01:20:19seen.

01:20:19Therefore, I do sentence

01:20:21you to ten years in

01:20:21the penitentiary.

01:20:23Ten years, the

01:20:24maximum sentence for a

01:20:25manslaughter conviction

01:20:26in Virginia.

01:20:28As for Brendan, he'll

01:20:29get a mandatory life

01:20:30sentence in May for

01:20:32murdering both Joe and

01:20:33Christine.

01:20:34I mean, it's horrific.

01:20:35It's absolutely horrific

01:20:36to think about what she

01:20:38could have possibly been

01:20:39thinking while that was

01:20:40going on, when a stranger

01:20:42had come into her room.

01:20:43Given your months of

01:20:44research, given everything

01:20:45that you know about him,

01:20:46who was, who is Brendan

01:20:48Banfield?

01:20:49You know, I still don't

01:20:51know.

01:20:51The first thing that

01:20:52came out when the trial

01:20:54started in the comments

01:20:56was that eyes were wide

01:20:57open in disbelief.

01:20:59This guy?

01:21:00This is, this is the guy?

01:21:02This is who masterminded

01:21:05this plot?

01:21:06This is who this young

01:21:07woman fell for?

01:21:08If it wasn't for Brendan's

01:21:10monstrous crime, he would be

01:21:12remarkably unremarkable.

01:21:13I feel like the way Brendan

01:21:18approached everything with

01:21:21Christine, it seems like

01:21:22this picture that's been

01:21:23painted of who he is and who

01:21:24he's been is the ultimate

01:21:27betrayal.

01:21:28Part of me thinks that

01:21:29Brendan did this because she

01:21:33was so much better than him

01:21:34as a person.

01:21:36Like, I think that his own

01:21:37insecurities made him feel

01:21:39an aunt next to her and

01:21:42because he's such a

01:21:43narcissist, there could be

01:21:46nobody better than him and

01:21:47she was in every way.

01:21:49What do you think

01:21:50Christine's legacy will be?

01:21:52Loving mother, adoring

01:21:53mother, a nurse's nurse, an

01:21:57advocate, an educator, a

01:22:00friend.

01:22:06That's all for this edition

01:22:08of Dateline.

01:22:09And don't forget to check

01:22:10out our Talking Dateline

01:22:11podcast, which will go behind

01:22:13the scenes of tonight's

01:22:15episode.

01:22:16Available Wednesday in the

01:22:17Dateline feed, wherever you

01:22:19get your podcasts.

01:22:20We'll see you again next

01:22:22Friday at 9, 8 central.

01:22:24I'm Lester Holt.

01:22:26For all of us at NBC News,

01:22:28good night.

01:22:30Good night.

01:22:32Good night.

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