A Brazilian woman jailed in the United States has accused her former employer and lover of orchestrating the murder of his own wife so the two could be together, according to testimony presented in a U.S. court. Juliana Peres Magalhães, detained since 2023, broke more than a year of silence by telling prosecutors she could no longer live with the guilt, U.S. media reported, citing court records referenced by the Associated Press.
Magalhães told the court that Brendan Banfield, her former boss, planned the crime in advance, created alibis and drew her directly into the scheme. The main victim was Christine Banfield, the defendant’s wife and Magalhães’s former employer. Banfield has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
How prosecutors say the crime was planned
According to testimony, Magalhães and Banfield created a fake social media profile in Christine’s name on a fetish-focused platform to lure Joseph Ryan to the family home. Prosecutors allege the meeting was a trap. Ryan was shot and killed, and the scene was staged to make it appear he had attacked Christine, who was also murdered.
Magalhães acknowledged participating in drawing Ryan to the house. However, she told the court that the planning and execution were Banfield’s responsibility. “I could no longer carry the shame and guilt alone,” she said, explaining her decision to cooperate with authorities.
Initially charged with second-degree murder in Ryan’s death, Magalhães later reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. As a result, the charge was reduced to involuntary manslaughter, and she entered a guilty plea. Her sentence will be determined after Banfield’s trial and could be limited to time already served, depending on how the court assesses her cooperation.
During cross-examination, Banfield’s defense sought to undermine her credibility, pointing to alleged inconsistencies, memory gaps and letters she wrote from jail describing depression and despair. Nevertheless, prosecutors argue that her testimony strengthens the case that the killings were premeditated.
Banfield is also facing separate charges of child abuse and cruelty to a minor. Investigators say the couple’s daughter, who was four years old at the time, was inside the house on the day of the killings.