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A former IRS law enforcement officer was sentenced June 5, 2026, to life in prison without parole for killing his wife and a stranger prosecutors said he lured to their Herndon home as part of an elaborate setup.

A Fairfax County jury convicted Brendan Banfield in February of murdering his wife, pediatric intensive care nurse Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan on Feb. 24, 2023. Jurors also found Banfield guilty of child endangerment because his daughter was inside the home during the killings.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penny S. Azcarate called life imprisonment a severe but justified punishment reserved for people the community determines should never be released.

Azcarate said the evidence showed months of planning, deception and manipulation, including the use of an innocent man as part of a deadly trap. She also condemned Banfield’s lack of remorse and the lasting harm inflicted on his daughter.

Banfield maintained that he encountered Ryan attacking his wife and shot him in response. Prosecutors argued that Banfield and the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, orchestrated the scene to make Ryan appear to be a violent intruder.

Magalhães testified that Banfield wanted to marry her and have children with her but first needed to “get rid of” Christine. According to her testimony, Banfield opposed divorce because he feared losing money and wanted custody of his daughter.

Magalhães, who began working for the Banfield family in 2021 at age 21, said she and Banfield impersonated Christine on a sexual-fetish website. They arranged for Ryan to visit the house for an encounter involving a knife, intending to use him to stage a home invasion.

On the morning of the killings, Magalhães said she waited outside with the Banfields’ child while Ryan entered the home. She then contacted Banfield, who was waiting at a nearby McDonald’s.

The two brought the child into the basement before going to an upstairs bedroom. Magalhães testified that Banfield shot Ryan and stabbed Christine with the knife Ryan had brought. When Ryan showed signs of movement, Magalhães fired a second shot, killing him.

Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against Banfield. She received a 10-year prison sentence after his trial.

At the sentencing hearing, Ryan’s mother, Deirdre Fisher, described the emotional and medical problems she has endured since her son’s death. She said Banfield selected Ryan because he believed Ryan could be framed for Christine’s murder.

Fisher recalled her son caring for his grandfather, who had dementia, and helping his grandmother through poor health. She also described his devotion to unwanted shelter dogs, saying he sought out the oldest and least appealing animals and gave them homes. One dog he left behind continued waiting for him at the top of the stairs after his death, she said.

“Joe wasn’t the disposable caricature he was made out to be,” Fisher told the court, contrasting her son’s legacy of compassion with Banfield’s crimes.

Ryan’s aunt and Christine’s sister, Danielle Hocker, also addressed the court. Hocker said the loss of her sister was compounded by hearing Banfield present a version of Christine that the family did not recognize.

She described Christine as honest and compassionate and said Banfield’s attempts to damage her reputation forced the family to relive its grief while Christine could no longer defend herself.

Given an opportunity to speak, Banfield rejected the jury’s decision and said the legal system had failed him, Christine, his daughter and their families. He insisted he did not commit the crimes and argued that the prosecution’s account and witness testimony were inconsistent with the evidence.

Banfield had unsuccessfully asked the court to throw out the verdict at a hearing the previous day. He also pointed to disagreement within the Fairfax County Police Department about the prosecution’s claim that he impersonated Christine online, contending that he could not have sent some of the messages.

Azcarate told Banfield that he retains the right to appeal and that a new attorney will be appointed to represent him.