Brazilian Au Pair Sentenced to 10 Years in Virginia Double Killing

In Fairfax County, Virginia, a Brazilian au pair was sentenced to the maximum 10 years in prison on Friday for her role in a February 2023 double killing, despite prosecutors' recommendation for her immediate release as part of a plea deal.

Juliana Peres Magalhães, 27, pleaded guilty to a reduced manslaughter charge in the death of Joseph Ryan, 37, after testifying against her former employer and lover, Brendan Banfield. The killings occurred in the Banfield family home in Fairfax, where Magalhães had worked as an au pair caring for the couple's 4-year-old child. According to her testimony, she and Banfield, a 35-year-old Internal Revenue Service agent, plotted the murders after beginning an affair. They created a fake social media account in the name of Banfield's wife, Christine, a pediatric intensive care nurse, on a platform catering to individuals interested in sexual fetishes. Ryan responded to the profile and agreed to visit the home for an encounter involving a knife.

On the night of the attack, Magalhães and Banfield moved the child to the basement to keep the toddler out of harm's way. They then entered the upstairs bedroom, where Banfield stabbed Christine multiple...