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The latest episode of Kendall Rae's true crime podcast tells the chilling story of Christine Banfield, a nurse who was found dead at her home in Herndon, Virginia in February 2023, along with another victim.
She was stabbed in her neck, and her dead body lay near a man named Joe Ryan, who was shot multiple times. The double murder shook the citizens of Virginia. Christine Banfield was known for her kindness and helpful nature, which left everyone wondering who could have done this to her.
As Kendall Rae explained, Banfield's husband, Brendan Banfield, has been accused of her murder. Prosecutors say he had an affair with their au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, and the two schemed to kill Christine Banfield.
Who was Christine Banfield from Kendall Rae's true-crime podcast?
Christine Banfield, the subject of Kendall Rae's new true crime podcast, was a 37-year-old nurse based in Virginia who was known among her patients for her compassion and devotion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she went out of her way to help others and left lasting impressions on her patients.
Her personal life also seemed to be going well as she lived with her husband, Brendan, and their four-year-old daughter, Valerie. Christine’s life took a tragic turn on February 24, 2023, when police responded to an emergency call at her home.
She was found motionless in her bedroom with fatal stab injuries on her neck. Near her was the fatally shot body of Joe Ryan, a 39-year-old Springfield resident. The only other people in the house were Christine’s husband, Brendan, their live-in au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, and Valerie.
What happened to Christine Banfield?
When the police started investigating the double murder case, they found evidence suggesting Brendan and Juliana were having an affair and plotted Christine Banfield’s murder to be together.
Brendan allegedly made a fake profile on an adult website as Christine to lure Joe to their house, giving him hope of a sexual encounter. Prosecutors say when Ryan arrived at the home, Brendan and Juliana killed him and Christine.
Juliana, a Brazilian nanny had been working for the family since 2021. She initially claimed she acted out of self-defense. Juliana said on the morning of the murders, she was in a car with the couple's daughter when she saw Ryan enter the house.
As per the nanny, she called Christine, but when she did not answer, she contacted Brendan and asked him to come home immediately. The two then entered the house together and found Ryan attacking Christine with a knife.
Juliana also claimed Brendan shot Ryan with his service weapon and instructed her to get a second gun from a safe. She fatally shot Ryan fearing for her own safety. Prosecutors later disclosed that Brendan and Juliana had staged the scene to make it look like a home invasion gone wrong.
Further investigation uncovered details about Brendan and Juliana’s relationship. Investigators found text messages, photos of the pair on trips, and Juliana’s lingerie in Brendan’s bedroom, which indicated they were having an affair.
By the time of her arrest in October 2023, Juliana had moved into the master bedroom Brendan once shared with Christine. Prosecutors also found that Brendan and Juliana had visited a shooting range together two months before the murders. Brendan had also purchased a gun later used in the crime.
After her arrest, Juliana initially faced second-degree murder charges. However, in September 2024, she struck a plea deal and pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors. She admitted to shooting Ryan but claimed she acted on Brendan’s orders.
Juliana now faces up to 10 years in prison and awaits sentencing in March 2025. Brendan, on the other hand, was indicted for aggravated murder in September 2024. He faces charges for the deaths of both Christine and Ryan and is set to go to trial in February 2025.
Meanwhile, the local community is traumatized by Christine Banfield’s death as she was deeply loved by her friends, family, and patients. As per prosecutors, she was betrayed by her own husband, who wanted her out of the picture to be with Juliana.
For more updates on true crime podcasts, keep following Soap Central.
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