Juliana Peres Magalhães, the nanny for a suburban Virginia family, recently pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a double homicide case that shocked the community. The new police body camera footage from the Fairfax County Police Department captures Magalhães hyperventilating as she recounts the events.
Magalhães, a Brazilian national, allegedly fell in love with her employer, former IRS agent Brendan Banfield. The pair has been accused of orchestrating a complex plot to murder Banfield's wife, Christine Banfield, and another man named Joe Ryan in February 2023.
The disturbing video shows Magalhães telling police about the violent events that unfolded in the Banfields' home. She describes how Ryan attacked Christine and how Brendan allegedly shot Ryan, prompting Magalhães to assist in the shooting.
Magalhães was arrested in October 2023, eight months after the killings, and charged with aggravated murder and use of a gun in the commission of a felony. At the time of her arrest, she had moved into the main bedroom of the Banfields' home, with a photo of herself and Brendan displayed prominently.
Banfield, the 39-year-old IRS employee, was arrested in September on four counts of aggravated murder and use of a gun in the commission of a felony. He faces a potential life sentence for the alleged crimes.
When police responded to a 911 call from the Banfield residence in February 2023, they found Christine with stab wounds and Ryan with fatal gunshot wounds. Christine later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. Authorities recovered a knife and two guns from the scene.
The exact sequence of events that led to the tragic deaths remains unclear, but both Magalhães and Brendan admitted to shooting Ryan while he was holding a knife to Christine.
Magalhães' stepmother, Viviane Magalhães, expressed disbelief at the situation and hopes for Juliana's return to Brazil soon. She believes that Juliana was manipulated by Brendan and was not the person portrayed in the events.
