Juliana Peres Magalhães, the au pair who admitted to helping her employer kill his wife and another man, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today, followed by an additional two years suspended. Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the death of Joseph Ryan.
Judge Penney Azcarate handed Magalhães the maximum sentence for a manslaughter charge in Virginia. This was a rejection of an agreement that Magalhães entered into with her attorney and prosecutors, which aimed to end her time in jail at the time of the sentencing.
Magalhães was the au pair for Brendan Banfield, who was convicted earlier this month of aggravated murder in the 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. She was originally charged with murder in the case. She pleaded guilty to a downgraded charge of manslaughter in exchange for cooperating with the prosecution in Banfield’s trial.
Trial Testimony
In testimony during Banfield’s trial, Magalhães said that she had an affair with Banfield and that the two of them schemed to “get rid of” Christine. She said the pair lured Ryan to the Banfields’ home with a fake account on a sexual fetish website under Christine’s name.
Magalhães testified that on the day of the murder, she took the Banfields’ 4-year-old to the basement of the home and entered the bedroom. She said that Banfield shot Ryan and stabbed his wife. When Magalhães saw Ryan moving, she fired a fatal second shot.
She was arrested eight months after the incident and didn’t talk with investigators for more than a year, AP reported.
Sentencing Hearing
Azcarate, who was also the judge for Banfield’s case, listed several reasons why she did not feel she could agree with the time-served recommendation. Among those were that Magalhães showed no empathy for the victim until today. She also noted that, during the crime, Magalhães possessed a loaded firearm, brought a child into the home, and shot Ryan in the heart when he had already suffered a gunshot wound.
“Let’s get this clear, you do not deserve anything other than incarceration and a life of reflection for what you have done to the victim and his family. May it weigh heavily on your soul,” Azcarate said.
Before the judge offered her sentencing, Ryan’s mother and aunt offered victim impact statements about the loss of their son and nephew.
Magalhães also spoke in court. “I understand that I am to blame, and I am truly sorry for the pain caused. I hope someday I can be forgiven,” she said.
Prosecutors had requested Magalhães receive a time-served sentencing. They argued that her cooperation and testimony were important in Banfield’s trial. Banfield was convicted of two counts of aggravated murder, as well as using a firearm in the commission of a felony and child endangerment. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, and will be sentenced on May 8.
Feature image of Juliana Peres Magalhães courtesy Court TV via AP, Pool
