Brazilian au pair testifies against former employer and lover in double homicide case
ABC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Juliana Peres Magalhães, a Brazilian au pair who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, testified against her former employer and lover, Brendan Banfield, in a double homicide case involving the deaths of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan in Virginia.
- Prosecutors allege that Banfield, an IRS agent, and Magalhães plotted to kill Christine Banfield by impersonating her online and arranging a staged rape scenario with Ryan, which ended in the killings being disguised as self-defense against an intruder.
- Magalhães cooperated with investigators, leading to her reduced charge from murder to manslaughter, and her sentencing will depend on her continued cooperation; Banfield faces aggravated murder charges and could receive life imprisonment.
