Fairfax, Virginia — A Brazilian au pair who conspired with her employer to commit murder has received a 10-year prison sentence. Juliana Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in connection with the February 2023 death of Joseph Ryan, whose killing occurred during a violent altercation that also resulted in the death of his wife, Christine.
During the trial, Magalhães testified that she shot Ryan as her co-conspirator, Brendan Banfield, attacked his wife in their home. Despite her cooperation with prosecutors, Judge Penney S. Azcarate sentenced her to the maximum allowable term for her involvement, highlighting the brutal and premeditated nature of the crime.
“This was a deliberate act that showed a profound disregard for human life,” Azcarate said, emphasizing the serious implications of the case. Prosecutors initially suggested leniency for Magalhães in exchange for her testimony about Banfield’s orchestrated double murder, but the judge ultimately deemed a lengthy sentence appropriate.
Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano commented on Magalhães’ trial testimony, noting its crucial role in helping jurors comprehend the complicated and horrific plot devised by Banfield. “No prison sentence can ever remedy the harm that has been inflicted,” he remarked after the sentencing.
Magalhães had remained silent for several months following the incident before choosing to assist with the prosecution against Banfield, who had recently been convicted of aggravated murder. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that the pair had maintained a romantic relationship even after the killings.
During her testimony, Magalhães detailed how she and Banfield crafted a deceptive online persona to lure Ryan into a fatal encounter that involved both a firearm and a knife. She described how, after the couple’s child was taken to another room, Banfield shot Ryan, and she fired a fatal second shot when Ryan began to move.
Magalhães claimed she was also present during the murder of Christine but did not directly participate in the stabbing. Instead, she opted to cover her eyes and ears as the crime unfolded. Despite the long delay before her arrest — which came eight months later — Magalhães ultimately decided to speak about her role in the murders as her own trial date approached.
Before the sentencing, she expressed remorse in a prepared statement addressed to the victims’ families, admitting that she lost herself in a toxic relationship. “I know my remorse cannot bring you peace,” she stated.
Ryan’s mother, Dierdre Fisher, spoke emotionally during the hearing, lamenting the loss of her son and expressing doubt that true justice could ever be achieved. She urged the court to recognize the worth of her son and called for accountability for the actions that led to his death.
Banfield faces a potentially far more severe sentence, having been found guilty of two counts of aggravated murder, child endangerment, and using a firearm in the commission of a murder. In Virginia, aggravated murder convictions carry a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, with his own sentencing scheduled for May.