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Brendan Banfield, serving a life sentence for murder and child endangerment convictions, has initiated an appeal of his case through Virginia’s Court of Appeals, his defense attorney announced July 17.

Defense attorney Brandon Sloane filed notice that he will pursue an appeal challenging Banfield’s February 2026 convictions, which stemmed from the deaths of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan at the Banfields’ Ashburn home in 2023. Banfield was sentenced to life in prison in June following a three-week trial.

Sloane’s notice does not yet disclose the substantive arguments he will raise on appeal. Before sentencing, Banfield’s legal team had filed motions alleging due-process violations. In particular, they argued that prosecutors improperly referenced Banfield’s decision not to speak with police after the deaths. The defense also contested the credibility of testimony from Juliana Peres Magalhães, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and testified against Banfield under a plea agreement.

Circuit Court Chief Judge Penney Azarcate rejected those pre-sentencing motions, allowing the guilty verdict to stand.

The case has centered on conflicting accounts of the fatal encounter. Prosecutors alleged that Banfield and Magalhães, who were romantically involved, orchestrated a plot to kill Christine Banfield using a catfishing scheme to lure Ryan to the home. According to prosecutors, Banfield shot Ryan in the head with his IRS service weapon, while Magalhães shot Ryan in the chest with another pistol.

Banfield has maintained a different narrative: that Ryan stabbed Christine Banfield, and Magalhães then shot Ryan in self-defense. When confronted with the allegations against him, Banfield described them as “absolutely crazy.”

Sloane had not responded to requests for comment on the appeal by publication time.