The Brazilian au pair who plotted with her lover to kill his wife and another man in Herndon, Virginia, in 2023 was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.
Fairfax County Chief Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate sentenced Juliana Peres Magalhães to the maximum penalty allowed for manslaughter in Virginia, breaking from the recommendation made by the commonwealth and the au pair’s attorney.
“Let’s get straight, you do not deserve anything other than incarceration and a life of reflection on what you have done to the victim and this family,” Azcarate said. “May it weigh heavily on your soul.”
Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Joseph Ryan, who prosecutors say was lured to the Banfield home in February 2023 as part of a plot to frame him for murder.
Under the terms of her plea deal, Magalhães’ attorney and prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of time served in exchange for her cooperation and testimony. But Azcarate exercised her authority to reject that recommendation.
Magalhães testified about the killings and her affair with Banfield, which continued for months after the murders of Christine Banfield, and Ryan.
Before her sentence was passed down, Magalhães’ attorney argued that testimony was integral to convicting Banfield in the aggravated murders.
“The commonwealth had circumstantial evidence, forensic evidence, electronic forensic evidence, digital forensic evidence and others,” Ryan Campbell said. “But it was Juliana who ultimately told the story firsthand of what occurred because that decision was integral in the jury’s decision.”
Magalhães initially wouldn’t speak with investigators after her arrest, but she agreed to share her story as Banfield’s trial neared.
Banfield is scheduled to be sentenced May 8. He faces life in prison with no chance of parole.
In addition to the murder charges, Banfield was also found guilty of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and child endangerment, as his 4-year-old child was home during the killings.
Why judge deviated from recommended sentence
The au pair told the court she teamed up with Banfield to make an account on a fetish website impersonating Christine. They used the account to message Ryan and invite him to the home with promises of rough sex.
She had initially been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Ryan, but the au pair took the plea deal in October 2024.
Azcarate called that deal a “bargain” for Magalhães, as it downgraded the charge against her to manslaughter.
“You could have been facing life, plus three years, and now the maximum I can sentence you to today is 10 years,” she said. “That’s clearly a trade for your cooperation with the commonwealth.”
Azcarate said the au pair shot Ryan shot him “point blank in the heartM” as he laid moaning and watched as Banfield stabbed his wife.
“The facts of this case demonstrate an intentional and calculated level of violence that is the most serious manslaughter scenario that this court has ever seen,” the judge said.
For a year and a half after the killings, the judge said Magalhães shared a fabricated story that depicted Ryan as a rapist and a murderer.
“Until today, you have shown no empathy for the victim in this case,” Azcarate said.
During the hearing, Azcarate listed off her ten reasons for sentencing Magalhães to additional time in prison.
“Number 10, telling the child it was OK to call you mommy hours after the murder, your actions were deliberate, self-serving and demonstrated a profound disregard for human life,” Azcarate said.
‘Guttural cries into my pillow’: Victim’s mother details sleepless nights of grief
Before the sentence was announced, Ryan’s mother gave an emotional testimony Friday over a video call, breaking down in tears as she described the loss of her son.
“So many sleepless nights, so many nightmares of his brutal murder and fear, confusion, and of the pain he must have felt, so many screams and guttural cries into my pillow, feeling the loss of my son,” Deirdre Fisher said. “So many moments of reading horrible things online, lies told about who Joe wasn’t.”
Fisher testified about the pain of learning of the plot to frame Ryan.
“My son’s life was used and thrown away, seen as worthless and utterly disposable disposal, disposal by those who plotted and executed his brutal murder,” Fisher said.
Fisher described her grief over losing her son, who cared for her during her cancer treatment and was born days before Christmas.
“Since Joe’s murder, I haven’t been able to take down my little Christmas tree, which sits behind the urn with his ashes,” she said.
Ryan’s aunt also testified about how the man lived with his 81-year-old grandmother, who he brought to doctors’ appointments and took shopping.
His family members testified Ryan loved video games, mixed martial arts and caring for neglected dogs – several of which he drove across the country to rescue.
Ryan’s family members argued that Magalhães had multiple opportunities to intervene and stop the murders from happening.
“It’s our hope that Juliana doesn’t walk free, but continues to reflect on how she became capable of doing this, so that when she does return to Brazil, she never victimizes another person, never betrays another child in her care, and never again places selfish desire above human life,” Ryan’s aunt testified.
During the sentencing hearing, Magalhães apologized to family members of Ryan and Christina, as well as the Banfields’ daughter, who she watched over. Both families were present in the courtroom.
“I understand that I am to blame, and I’m truly sorry for the pain it caused,” she said, tears dripping down her cheeks and onto her shirt. “I hope someday I can be forgiven, as I hope to be able to forgive myself.”
WTOP’s Abigail Constantino and Thomas Robertson contributed to this report.
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