Virginia affair-driven murder plot ends in life in prison

A Virginia man, Brendan Banfield, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for a calculated murder-for-hire scheme with his Brazilian au pair that killed his wife, Christine Banfield, and lured a man to their home as a fall guy. The plan involved impersonating Christine on a sexual-fetish website to lure Joseph Ryan; Banfield shot Ryan and, after Ryan attacked his wife, Banfield killed Christine with a knife Ryan had brought. The couple’s 4-year-old daughter was present, leading to an additional child-endangerment conviction and a three-year firearms sentence. The au pair, Juliana Magalhães, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, testified against Banfield, and received a 10-year sentence. Judge Penney Azcarate called Banfield’s actions evil and calculated.