How Did a Secret Online Relationship End in Murder?

February 24 223. 74 473 32. Fairfax County 911. Where's your. emergency? >> Hello, Fairfax County 911. >> That few second 911 call that came in to. Fairfax County might not sound like a. lot. I mean, the caller hung up right. where it cut off after that groan. So, it tells a firsttime listener almost. nothing. But that call would turn out to.

be everything. Prosecutors say that. those few seconds are among the. strongest pieces of evidence that a man. named Joseph Ryan was [music] murdered. And if that's true, then he was lured. there and executed as a part of the same. plan that got Christine Banfield [music]. killed. You can be the judge, but the. legal systems already made up its mind. And two people are now serving time. related to one of the sickest, most.

twisted premeditated [music]. plots I've ever heard of. A real. reminder of crime junkie life rule. number one. You never really know anyone. ever. I'm Ashley Flowers. And I'm Brit. Let's dive into the case. Crime junkies. After that odd 911 call came in, the. dispatcher in Fairfax County, Virginia, tries calling the number back, but no.

one answers. And because it came from a. cell phone, they can't pinpoint where to. send police. So, they're kind of just. stuck until 15 minutes later when the. same phone number calls back. And this. time, a frantic young woman is on the. line. >> I need I need help. There is. my my friend. She just wasn't attacking. the mic. Now she's hurting my lot. I. don't know what to do anymore. >> Okay. Where are you located? What's your.

address? >> Um at the Oh my god. >> Take a deep breath for me. Just let me. know your address. >> 13. >> Okay. 13. >> Take a deep breath for me. You're you're. on Stable Brook. >> Yes. >> What's your number? >> It's um um. >> Is there somebody else there that can. give me the address?

>> Okay. And what's your name and what's. going on? >> My name is My name is Brennan Banfield. I'm a I'm a f I'm a federal agent. This. is my house. There's somebody There's. somebody here. Uh, I I shot I shot him. Um, but he stabbed her. She's bleeding. She's got several several marks on her. neck. What do I What do I do? >> Okay. So, what I need you to do is apply.

direct pressure directly to where she's. bleeding from. Okay. And if it becomes, just add more cloth to what it's already. there. >> How old is the person? >> I I don't know. >> The person that's bleeding, >> uh, 37. >> Okay. So, the person that you shot, where is he? >> I don't know. I don't know him. >> Okay. Where is he, though? >> He's here. He's on the ground. >> Okay. Okay. And the person that he stabbed, where are they now? Are they still in.

that? >> I have to see you. >> EMS and Fairfax County police head to. the Bfield's home, a large brickfront. colonial tucked into a quiet culde-sac. in the DC suburb of H. They're let in and led upstairs by the. family's opair. She is who called 911. and she directs them to the main bedroom. where they see the bed is stripped with. bloody linens on the floor. Two guns are. on the bare mattress and Brendan is. kneeling on a towel beside the bed next.

to his naked wife, 37year-old Christine. Banfield. and he's using his bare hands. to stop the bleeding that's coming from. stab wounds in her neck. And lying at. top a dog bed against the bed frame, the. officers see the stranger that Brendan. said he shot. Under the dog bed by his. head, they find Christine's underwear. ripped at the crotch. And nearby is. what's believed to be one of her shirts. with a jagged cut down the back. Now, paramedics go to each person, but the.

man is already beyond saving. There's. still hope for Christine, though. She is. breathing. So EMS rushes her to an. ambulance waiting outside while. responders inside try to get a handle on. this chaotic scene, including tending to. Brendan, who seems unable to even stand. on his own. >> Can you check him out? >> Yeah, I got I got more units here. We'll. check him out.

>> Stay with me. What did you say? >> We're going to have to get him out of. here. >> Yeah, I know. >> Can you give him a second to talk about. anything else? >> Let me change my gloves out. We can get. him out of here. >> Knife's there. Guns are on the bed. Right here, the officer standing closest.

to Brendan mouths in the direction of. the body cam. He doesn't know. He says. it twice, but it's not totally clear. what he means cuz Christine was still. alive at the house. But I mean, it's. possible that anyone with medical. training would know that her injuries. were bad, likely not survivable. >> I think. I'm just giving you some fresh air right. now at the globe. Yeah. So, we can get. you outside. Can you glove on?

>> Can you help him just. >> whenever they called us whenever. >> you say Vienna? >> Easy. >> Sorry. Say it again. >> So, you my office is in Vienna. Correct. Did you. could you call my office? No,

>> I need I need to call my manager at some. point. It's. >> the least of our worries right now, man. >> We're just going to get you in a cruiser. outside in the air where you can. breathe. >> Brendan is escorted out to his front. lawn. They want to get him in an. ambulance to make sure that he's not. injured at all. He's limping a little, but he says he doesn't know what's. wrong. He seems to just kind of be in. shock as he hangs his head and stares at. the ground. Just take some deep breaths. All right.

You need to sit down somewhere. >> Is there a way to get an update. >> right now? Right now. >> They're handling everything from here. >> You can. >> Is anything bothering you right now? >> Uh, I just chilling and steady. >> Okay. Were you hit with anything? A. knife? Anything? >> No. I I took I took the knife. I took. the knife from him. >> Okay. All right. So, you're not hurt. anywhere. Is that not your blood?

Correct. >> I I think it's. >> all right. You want to slip this jacket. off for me so we can evaluate. >> They check him out, but Brendan is. basically physically unharmed, although. he thinks maybe the stranger struck him. once. But when they get to the hospital, he overhears someone talking about his. wife. Christine, >> stay seated on the bed for me. He just said that she's. >> I didn't hear what she said. So. >> the um stuff probably needs to be.

switched out. >> Okay. >> Can you have someone check with him. here? >> Okay. What is the nature of the. incident? >> Check what? >> The status of his wife, man. >> Sir, my name is D. I'm one of the. doctors here. Um your wife has died. The doctor stays with Brendan as he. cries and she offers to try and answer. any questions he has.

>> Um, so is there any part that I can. help? You know, I can explain what. happened when she arrived here, but you. were there and it sounds like there was. a lot of blood loss. >> Yes. >> So, I think that um she died of blood. loss. Um, her airway was actually okay. I'll call the medical examiner, of. course, and we'll we'll um do an autopsy. and make sure we know for certain, but. um. >> I was trying to apply pressure. >> Yeah. >> I mean, those were enormous wounds and.

you know, it's not. >> there was so many there were so many. >> Yes. And the neck is not compressible. So, it's not possible really to stop all. the blood loss and [snorts] uh her. airway it seems like was in the midline. Okay. She was able to be intubated. Everything that was possible to be done. was done for her right away. You did a. wonderful, you know, you did everything. that was possible. It's not a survivable. injury. Brendan had just turned 38 the day. before this. [music] Now he's a. widowerower and a single dad to his and.

Christine's four-year-old daughter. Police want to give him some space, but. they need to know what happened. Except. Brendan isn't just going to be an open. book. Like I don't know if you caught it. on the 911 call, but he said that he was. a federal agent, works for the Internal. Revenue Service, IRS, criminal. investigation division. So he knows the. life rule that we preach. Always get a. lawyer, right? >> He has already given a little bit of. information, like kind of jumbled in the. 911 call and a little bit to first.

responders that an intruder was. attacking his wife. he shot the intruder. and he confirms that the two guns that. were sitting on the mattress were his. [music]. But that is about all he's ready to say. Police aren't totally in the dark though. because while Brendan was at the. hospital, the family's opair and the. Banfield's little girl who she nannies. for, are at the police station. Her name. is Juliana Perez Magalanis, a 22year-old. Brazilian woman who came to the US.

through an OPAIR program nearly a year. and a half prior. like back in October. of 2021. And since then, she had been. living with the Banfields, caring for. their daughter. >> They're almost a year and a half. >> Um, tell me about the family. >> Oh, I don't have anything to complain. about them. They are amazing. They they. always amazing. Um, the sweetest ever. Uh, they always treat. me really well as a family. We always.

did things like family. Um, what about the relationship between. mom and dad? >> Oh, they are really good with each. other. They have a they are super. stable. I never seen like anything like. you know discussing or anything. It's. still positive. It's they are super. I don't know how to say super. >> They get along well. They're friendly. You don't see them fight very often? >> No. No. I never I never seem they.

fighting. No. You never seen him fight? >> No. There at home, everyone is calm and. we talk. We don't yell. We don't, you. know, don't have uh fights. We never do. >> Like when you say fights, do you mean. yelling fights or physical fights? >> Yeah. Or fights. Yeah. I. >> either verbal or physical. >> No, never. >> Never heard anything. >> Okay. >> Juliana tells police that Friday was. supposed to be a normal day. Brendan had.

left for work early and Christine. planned for Juliana to take their little. girl to a zoo in DC. It opened at 8:00. a.m. So, they headed out at around 7:20, 7:30 a.m. But before they even left the. street, Juliana realized that she had. forgotten their lunches. So, she was. just going to run back in. But then she. saw an unfamiliar gray jeep pull into. the driveway like before she could. and. a man that she had never seen before. parked [music] got out carrying a. backpack or something and walked inside.

like he owned the place. Now, she said. she tried calling Christine, who was. still inside, but it went straight to. [music] voicemail. So, that's when she. called Brendan, who was at a nearby. McDonald's. He tries calling Christine, too. Same thing, got her voicemail. So, he came home and all three went in. together. Now, Juliana said that she. heard a slapping or like a spanking type. noise upstairs. So, the two adults told. the four-year-old to stay in the. basement while they went up to. investigate. But by the time they got. upstairs, what she says they walked in.

on was a shirtless man over a naked. Christine on the floor. And before she. even fully realized what was happening, Brendan was standing in front of her in. the doorway with his gun, like his. service weapon drawn. >> And they were yelling to each other. Didn't really understand what they were. saying. It was too fast. And Brendan. said, "Uh, drop the knife. Please drop. the knife." [clears throat]. That's what I heard. And that strange.

guy, he was saying, "Drop the gun. Drop. the gun." They were yelling each other. And then he the the guy, he said like, "Drop drop the gun. I'm going to kill. her." he had. And. when he said that, I I was. for me, I didn't I didn't believe that. somebody was going to do that. I was.

okay. And I don't know what he he did. I I. can't. when he started, I kind of I covered my. ears. I co closed my eyes. I I didn't want to. see or hear anything because they were. getting serious, I guess. Like he was. saying, "I'm going to kill her." He kept. saying that. Um.

then he. I I didn't want to say that, but I he. started stabbing her with the knife. And. when I saw that, I just closed my I. never seen that. So I. What's happening? Then I um. Brendan. shot him. Um. and I was even more scared.

She says Brendan then told her to go. open his safe and grab his other gun so. that she could be his backup while he. helped Christine. Now Juliana knew how. to handle a gun because Brendan had. taken her to a shooting range before. So. she did what he asked. >> Yeah. >> And then. >> then I got the gun. >> Okay. And uh he was trying to help. Christine with the. her neck and he was she was bleeding a. lot and uh he was reacting so he was.

going to do something with Brendan also. >> Mhm. >> And then I shot him also. I did. >> Detectives knew there were two shots to. their male victim. One in the head, one. in the chest. And they knew there were. two guns found on the bed. But this is. the first time that they get. confirmation that both Juliana and. Brendan shot this guy basically to stop. a threat, [music] as Juliana put it. But. they didn't actually stop it. Christine.

had been stabbed in the neck [music] six. times. She had even more cuts on her. neck and shoulder, bruises on her arm. and hands and legs and chin, and an. abrasion on her wrist, possibly from. being restrained. And it looks like the. male victim had come with both. restraints and intentions. His pants are. undone and he has a backpack with him. In that backpack, police find zip ties, chains, padlocks, clothes pins, electrical tape, saran wrap, a gag lube,

and strangely a single apricot. [music]. I mean, the timing alone, he had to have. been like lying in wait for Juliana to. leave. >> You would think that, right? Because. everything happened so quickly. Yeah, but they're actually able to identify. this guy from his car and his cell. phones as 39-year-old Joseph Ryan from. nearby Springfield. And in his wallet, they also find a receipt from Walmart. timestamp 7:13 that morning. And that. had just three items on it. So,

toothpaste, the same lube that was in. his backpack, and apricots. Based on. that drive from Walmart, the earliest. that he could have arrived at that house. is 7:25. So, he's at the store before. this, not stalking the house. And if. this was some highly planned attack, why. does it seem so amateur? I mean, he did. nothing to hide his identity. He parked. his Jeep right in the driveway. His. wallet is there in the room. >> And Brendan and Juliana didn't know him. at all.

>> Not that anyone can tell. But there are. other reasons that this just doesn't sit. right as a random crime. I mean, this is. an affluent low crime neighborhood in. general. There are no signs of forced. entry to this house. And the house has a. smart lock system that as far as they. can tell, no one tampered with. So, how. would this guy have gotten in unless. someone from the house let him in? Unfortunately, the only people that they. can't ask about this are Joe and.

Christine, [music]. but they do have their phones. Now, they. find Christine's downstairs in the. drawer of this bar cart that's like. pushed up against the wall. and Joe's is. right there in his Jeep. Now, on. Christine's phone, they see one of the. open apps is the smart lock system, showing that the front door lock had. been disabled. And Joe's phone makes it. clear that he knew that that door would. be unlocked.

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Anastasia 9 appeared to be Christine, at. least based on the profile selfie pick. of her in a bathing suit. Just her body, no face. Now, she described herself as a. married woman who cheated before whose. husband was too gentle for the rough. roleplay that she craved. She wanted an. aggressive dom. No dates, no coffee, just sex. Anastasia 9 and Joe had. started talking back in late January, but they'd recently moved their. conversations to an encrypted app and. actually planned an encounter, basically.

a violent fantasy where she would play a. sleeping woman and Joe would play an. intruder who forces himself on her. Now, they picked that Friday because. Anastasia 9 said that her husband was. going to be out of town and [music] her. instructions were specific. Come over at. around 7:20 a.m. Park in the driveway. Leave your phones in your car. The. door's going to be unlocked. My dog is. going to be put away in the basement. He. was to come upstairs, pin her down, restrain her, cut her clothes off with a.

knife, blindfold her, and gag [music]. her. Anastasia 9 had even asked Joe for. a photo of everything he was bringing, including a knife. It's the exact one. detectives found in the bedroom, the. same one used to kill Christine. [music]. Everything police were being fed fit. together neatly. This woman, married to. a federal agent, was living a double. life. She invited the wrong man into her. home and into her bed, and she paid the. ultimate price. Her husband was so close.

to being the hero, but he just couldn't. save her in time. Except for every part. of the story that makes sense, there are. 10 that don't. I mean, take Joe. Like, what on earth is his motive here? The. communications have made it clear that. there wasn't some like ongoing affair. As far as Joe seemed to be concerned, this was supposed to be just like two. adults meeting up for a firsttime. encounter. What the hell happened? He. doesn't seem like some violent guy who. got carried away. When they dig into his.

background, the man that they discover. doesn't match the scene that they found. him in. I mean, he had some criminal. history, but like nothing major. And. while Joe didn't have a spouse or kids, he was devoted to the family he did. have. His grandparents raised him, and. when they got older, he became one of. their primary caregivers. He was at his. mom's side through cancer treatment. Loved ones described someone. compassionate and kind. But [music] I. mean, people are more than one thing, and Joe also had an interest in BDSM and.

rough sex role playing, which he tried. to engage in responsibly. You can see it. through his chat history with Anastasia. 9. Since the plan involved gagging her, Joe set up a non-verbal stop signal and. asked about her boundaries so he. wouldn't overstep. [music] Our reporter. Nah even spoke to a former partner of. his and she told us that during the me. too reckoning, Joe contacted this person. to make sure nothing about their. experiences was bothering her, even in. hindsight. And it wasn't. But. >> I mean, he was mindful about it.

>> Exactly. Now, as far as we know, he. didn't have any other encounters that. got out of hand or instances where he. just like snapped. Like, that wasn't. him. And none of this was like. Christine. [music]. Everyone agrees that she was a devoted. nurse, mom, wife. And not like a mom. can't have a kink, but like as far as. they could tell, Christine had never. even been unfaithful. [music]. I mean, they check years worth of her. data. I mean, back to the mid 2000s, there is nothing. No flirtations, no.

affairs, not even like mainstream porn, let alone anything in Anastasia 9's. wheelhouse. >> So, this would have been like a real 0. to 60 for her. >> And of all things, to have some sexual. assault fantasy, it makes even less. sense when you realize that she had. spent her career doing some of the. hardest work in medicine. She was a. pediatric ICU nurse when she died, but. before that, she was a sexual assault. nurse examiner. Oh my god. Then. >> that's what I'm saying. I cannot imagine.

a world where you work with people who. have been the victim of sexual assault. See [music] firsthand the trauma of. that, the brutality of that, the way. that it can destroy people. And then. we're like supposed to believe that like. that's the fantasy she lands on. Her. first time ever [clears throat] cheating. on her husband and this is how like. she's going to have a good time on a. Friday morning at 7:20 like with some. stranger. And like listen, don't anyone. dare come for me like I'm king shaming. Like this was not her kink. >> And that is what becomes painfully.

obvious when police look at her life as. a whole. Christine Banfield and. Anastasia 9 do not feel like the same. person. Detectives go on an allout. digital blitz pulling terabytes of data. off dozens of devices. And piece by. piece, they start to rebuild the life of. this Anastasia 9 account. They also. build out a portrait of everyone who. lived in the Bfield house. But before. they even do, there are hints about.

[music] what they're going to find. As. Fairfax County Detective Thomas Goodell. told us, there were red flags from the. beginning. the rehearsed sounding law. enforcement lingo that Juliana kept. using when she talked about what. happened. She had to stop a threat. Remember, he got the vibe like she had. practiced that [music] story. So, investigators started asking. hyperspecific questions about body. positioning. Where was the man's head,

his hands, the knife? And what Juliana. ultimately described is a man who was. defenseless [music] by the time she shot. him. I mean, the way she tells it to. them, he was partially like on his back. moaning. The knife wasn't even near him. It was on the floor away from him. That. means that the shot she fired could be. considered murder. [music] They could. have charged her right then and there, but they didn't. Instead, [music].

they begin collecting their mountain of. evidence while at the same time keeping. an eye on Brendan and Juliana who are. staying in a hotel since the house was a. crime scene. And interestingly, [music]. that very first night when they go to. the hotel, there is this undercover. officer in the lobby who overheard. something that stopped him cold. Brendan's daughter asked Juliana two. questions.

Can she call her mommy now? And is. Juliana going to marry her daddy? The. first answer is yes, she can call her. mommy. As for marrying her daddy, Juliana says, "I wish." Now, in her. interview with police, Juliana had. described her relationship with Brendan. as strictly [music]. professional. But like, doubt it. Because on Juliana's phone, detectives. find a trove of photos documenting her. relationship with Brendan. In some she.

slapped an emoji sticker on his face, but it's like undeniably him. Friends, she'd sent them to confirm. Juliana and. Brendan had been involved since summer. 2022. Was Christine suspicious at all. that something like this was going on? >> Unlikely. Like, she and Brendan had been. together since college. They'd been. married nearly like 13 years. He had. actually cheated on her before, like. this long-term affair that she had. learned about that sent them to. counseling, but they stayed together and.

on paper they'd worked through it. However, police learned that Brendan had. other affairs that [music] Christine. likely never knew about. And that. probably includes Juliana because. Christine recently encouraged her to. extend her Opair contract. A friend of. Christine's told us that she actually. thought Brendan and Juliana's dynamic. was cute. Like she thought they had a. big brother little sister thing, but. like obviously that's not true unless. this is Game of Thrones. And it seems. like she was completely in the dark. about what was happening right under her.

nose in her own home. And that home is. where investigators began to trace the. creation of the Anastasia 9 Fetife. account. It started with a brand new. Gmail account being created in early. January. Then on January 17th, that. email registered the Anastasia 9 Fetlife. profile. That same day, Christine took. that bathing suit selfie and sent it to. her husband. And within a few days, the.

Anastasia 9 account was chatting with. multiple other Fet Life accounts, telling them she had a sexual assault. fantasy. But over and over there was a. blocker. Every guy wanted to meet in. person first. [music] Like it's too. dangerous not to, right? Like it could. be anyone behind that keyboard, >> right? >> But there was one person who agreed to. forego the face toface meeting and that. was Joe. Now, this had to have seemed. risky to him because he kind of tried to.

arrange an in-person meeting first, but. in the end, he settled for a long late. night call through an app 3 days before. the murders. Maybe that call put him at. ease, but there's no recording, so we. may never know. What we do know is that. Joe and Anastasia 9 were still working. out the details. Thursday night, February 23rd. Early the next morning, Friday, at [music] 5:47 a.m., Christine's phone was used to disable.

the front door lock. [music]. About an hour later, her phone gets shut. off. But the conversation with Joe kept. going from Christine's laptop. [music]. He said that he was running behind. At. 6:48, Anastasia 9 sent a final reply. Okay, I'll be waiting for you. And. what's wild is over the course of weeks, at the same time that the Fetife account. stuff was being accessed or used from.

her laptop, her phone was doing like. completely ordinary things, shopping for. scrubs, researching vacations, looking. up TV shows. >> I mean, that doesn't sound like [music]. two sides of the same person. And that. sounds like two completely different. people. Especially when police find out. Brendan and Juliana took trips [music]. together. And each time that they were. gone, the Fetife account would go dark. >> Even though Christine was home with her. devices. >> You would think that this would be like.

the perfect time for her to be accessing. that account. >> If you have a liaison with a stranger, do it while your husband is away rather. than while he is just like grabbing. breakfast at McDonald's. >> Yeah. On top of that, not long before the. killings, Brendan and Juliana both got. new phones and iCloud accounts set to. [music] sync almost nothing. Like, their. old cloud accounts were wiped clean. So, investigators quickly land on [music] a. theory. Brendan and Juliana did not.

interrupt a home invasion. They. orchestrated one. >> using a fake online persona to lure Joe. to the house. Then they killed him and. Christine and staged it so that Joe. would take the fall, >> which is diabolical. >> Well, it is also so convoluted that when. police lay it out for prosecutors, the. reaction is basically like, "No way." I. mean, don't get me wrong, they were. suspicious. But when we spoke with the.

Commonwealth's chief deputy, Jenna Sans, she told us that at the time it seemed. more likely to them that Christine and. Joe were having an affair and [music]. Brendan and Juliana walked in on them. and killed them. I mean, how that was. the AAMS razor version, I think. Like. the whole catfishing thing is just so. over complicated and digital evidence. has limits. Christine was always in the. house with Brendan and Juliana or both.

like when the account was active. So, they can't prove who was using any given. device. They [music] needed more. But. when you're talking this much forensic. evidence, more takes time. And since. prosecutors don't think that there was. like a public threat, the priority was. getting it done right, not fast. But. Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis told us. that the department was keeping close. tabs on the Banfield family the entire. time. So they got to watch as Brendan,

his daughter, and Juliana move right. back into the house where Christine and. Joe were killed along with Brendan's. mother who becomes kind of like his. mouthpiece while he stays quiet. The. problem though is after a few months. they start to worry that Juliana and. Brendan are a [music] flight risk. They. see that Juliana has applied for a new. Brazilian passport to replace the one. that they confiscated. And Brendan. started learning Portuguese, but Juliana. is, I think, the bigger concern because.

Brazil generally won't extradite its own. citizens. If she makes it home, they. might never get her back. So, they. decide to roll the dice. And in October. 2023, they decide to charge Juliana with. Joe's murder. >> Why just Joe? >> Well, cuz that's what they can prove. Like in her initial police interview, she admitted that he was incapacitated. when she shot him that second time. And. according to the medical examiner, that. second shot is the one that killed him. Although, I mean, the first shot that.

Brendan fired at a downward angle, by. the way, could have been fatal as well. Now, don't get me wrong, they think that. there's way more to this story, >> but this is like the surefire solid. >> This is what they have. This is what. they know they can use to hold her. They're in for another shock, though. Would they make the arrest and go back. into [music] the Banfield's house with a. search warrant? Christine has. essentially been erased. Her photos are. gone from the bedroom, replaced by. pictures of Brendan and Juliana. together. Her clothes are gone from the.

closet. And Julian's are hanging in. their place. >> Are they sleeping in the room where. Christine and Joe died? [music]. Like a bedroom. >> Christine who is the vibe. Yes, they. are. >> Oh my god. and her arrest only makes it. clearer how deep she is in with Brendan. [music] Once she is sitting in jail, they are monitoring all her. communication. Yeah, obviously letters, emails she's exchanging with Brendan, exchanging with his mom, her loved ones. in Brazil. She and Brendan are planning.

for the future at this point, [music]. planning a family of their own. All. while Brendan's mother is funding. Juliana's legal defense. It's like, I. love my kids, but how is his mother. supporting this? It I don't know. It. seems so toxic. And listen, I kept. looking for the thing that like, oh, like, did Christine's friends hate this. guy? Like, was Brendan abusive? Like, there had to have been signs, right? In. this case, not really. I mean, he was.

actively cheating. We know that. But. like, I think he hid it well. No one in. Christine's life so far has been like, "Oh, I always had a bad feeling about. that guy." If anything, Brendan barely. registers for most people. His. co-workers don't seem to like him much, but not because he's threatening. He's. just sort of like there, easy to forget. I mean, Fairfax Commonwealth attorney. Steve Dano referred to him as a walking. saltine. [laughter] But he's mommy's. saltine, and I imagine she will do.

anything to protect him. So, as. prosecutors gear up, investigators go. back to the beginning. [music] Problem. is, they know the crime scene was. compromised almost immediately. I mean, first responders were trying to save. Christine, checking Joe's vitals, coming. and going. The knife was stepped on and. kicked. It was chaos. But luckily, they. have body cam footage, which they go. through frame [music]. by frame. And the more they look at Joe,

the harder it is to believe he did what. Brendan and Juliana say he did. I mean, one of his legs was wedged so far under. the bed frame that responders struggled. to pull it out. His hands were like. folded neatly across his chest, like. what detectives call a funeral pose. And. when an officer lifted Joe's top hand to. check for a pulse, a swath of his skin. underneath and in between his fingers. were clean, like there was no blood. And. that only makes sense if Joe's hands.

were already folded when blood landed on. them, not like he was in the middle of a. frenzied knife attack. >> Yeah. >> And blood patterns tell a story. [music]. >> Joe had small round drops on his chest. and arms that look like they fell. straight down when he was lying still. But Brendan's clothes tell a different. tale. I mean, those stains are longer. and messier. The way blood lands on. someone who's moving while blood is. flying through the air. Bottom line, the.

blood on Joe doesn't point to him as the. stabber. >> The blood on Brendan does. And when. testing confirms that, prosecutors. finally have what they need. So, in. September 2024, almost a year after. Juliana's arrest, they finally charged. Brendan with Christine and Joe's. murders. And ultimately with felony. child abuse and cruelty since his. daughter was home when it happened. [music] Now this whole time Juliana's.

been away, she has not flipped on him. I. think she was probably telling herself. that cops didn't know the full story, right? Like otherwise they would have. arrested him. But now that he's in a. cell, too, it's all crashing down. [music] Plus, he stops communicating. with her after he's arrested. And she'd. also been reading discovery files for. her upcoming trial, which detail all of. the affairs that Brendan had while he. was with Christine. At least all the.

affairs that they knew about. And she. had likely known that he cheated before. her, but I doubt she knew how much. And. now she is probably no longer feeling. special. She's feeling used. So Juliana. agrees to plead guilty to involuntary. manslaughter and testify [music]. against Brendan. In exchange, prosecutors will recommend time [music]. served. >> Time served, like the time that she's. been in since they first arrested her. That's what, like a a year?

>> Well, I mean, by the time they actually. get to Brendan's trial, it's going to be. a little bit more than that. But they. need her. They need her to help lock. down the case against [music] Brendan. That's what her testimony will do. So that October, she gives them a full. account of what she says happened. >> 911 emergency Bryant. >> For 40 minutes, a man held six [music]. women captive inside Elaine Bryant store.

in Tinley Park, Illinois. Five were. executed and the killer escaped. >> The search continues for the gunman. >> Authorities have his face, voice, [music] and possible DNA. But 18 years. later, this case is still unsolved. >> There was no doubt in my [music] mind. that we were going to get this guy and I. was wrong. >> I'm Dillia Deira and this is. Counterclock season 8. Listen now. wherever you get your podcasts. According to Juliana, the murders of.

Christine Banfield and Joe Ryan weren't. impulsive. Planning started in October. 2022 when she traveled with Brendan and. his daughter to New York to visit his. family. I think Christine had to stay. back and work. They had been involved. for a few months by then. [music] And. Brendan mentioned wanting to get rid of. his wife. He told Juliana that Christine. was a bad mom who didn't care about his. needs. But a divorce would mean custody. battles, child support. In his mind, killing her would just be easier. He.

didn't want to hire a professional. He. was worried about the money trail. So. instead, he came up with something far. more elaborate. Create a fake profile on. a fetish site, pose as Christine, and. lure a man to the house under the. pretense of a violent sexual fantasy. They [music] would frame that man for. Christine's murder. And Brendan would. get to play this heroic husband who. tried to save her. How did he even think. of something like that? Well, Juliana. says she doesn't know where he came up.

with the idea, but Chief Deputy Sans. later learned that it mirrors the plot. of a TV show, The Closer, season 1, episode 6, for anyone interested. And I. don't know if Brendan ever saw it, but I. watched it. And the similarities are. hard to ignore. And as Juliana lays it. all out, details that never made sense. before finally start to like click into. place. Even the things that once meant. nothing take on new meaning. Like months. before the murders, the Banfields got.

new windows installed. Police figured. that, you know, that's just like a. routine house renovation thing, whatever. But Juliana says that Brendan. upgraded to triple pane near soundproof. windows, then tested them by standing in. the bedroom and screaming while she. listened outside. [music] Brendan was so. meticulous about the digital trail. I. mean, they only used Christine's devices. when she was home so that everything. would be traced back to her location. Juliana says she was the one who did the.

long call with Joe to get him. comfortable before the meetup. And he. commented about her having an accent. because like I mean the picture he saw. was of a white American woman, but it. obviously didn't scare him off because a. few days later he showed up. That. morning, Christine was sleeping in with. her daughter since she had the day off. Brendan brought the little girl. downstairs, handed Juliana his second. gun, which she slipped into her hoodie. pocket. They disabled the front door.

lock with Christine's phone, [music]. powered the phone off, and stashed it in. that bar cart drawer. Then Brendan drove. to McDonald's while Juliana settled his. daughter in the car, [music] parked by. the house. She waited. She watched Joe. pull in. That's when she called. Christine's dead phone to create a. record of her trying to warn her. And. then she calls Brendan and tells him to. come home. And according to Washington. Post reporter Tom Jackman, this whole. time they put on a show for Brendan's.

daughter so that she would repeat it to. police later. Like, "Oh no, we forgot. the lunches. Look at that strange man. going inside." When Brendan got back, they went in through the basement, left. his daughter downstairs, and headed up. And in the bedroom, Christine was on the. floor with Joe behind her, and she. yelled something like, "Brendan, he has. a knife." And like, when you think about. what this must have been like for. Christine, she woke up to a stranger. with a knife trying to sexually assault.

her. A man who believed that her fear. was fake, just like [music] part of the. fun. Joe is inside for at least 5. minutes, probably more before Brendan. and Juliana came in. So, she is fighting. hard, which explains the sheets being. ripped off the bed and her bruises. But. importantly, this is the thing to focus. on. She has not been stabbed yet. [music]. Then Brendan walks in, which in that. moment, Christine must have felt so much. relief. I right like her husband is. here. She is safe. Thank God.

>> But that relief was short-lived. Brendan. shot Joe in the head [music] and. Christine told them to call 911. Now, for some reason, Juliana dialed before. Brendan gave the go-ahad. That is when. that first call was made, the one that. was just a few seconds where you hear. like a moan, but Brendan motioned for. her to hang up like it wasn't time yet. He told her to go get a towel, then to. go to the gun safe, even though she had. the gun she needed. And then when she.

came back, Brendan was on top of. Christine, stabbing her in the neck. Then Joe stirred. So Juliana shot him. like she'd been trained to do. Remember, he took her to the shooting range. And. he'd actually bought that second gun. just weeks before everything went down. That doesn't feel like it's for. protection. >> He wanted her to be implicated. >> More of a reason for her to stay silent. She watched Brendan drip Christine's. blood onto Joe's body. And once the.

scene was set, 15 minutes later, this is. why she had to hang up the call, right? They're not ready. Once the scene was. set, he has her call 911 again. Detective Goodell noticed something. important about this telling of the day. Now, unlike Juliana's first interview, which felt scripted and hollow, this. time Juliana gives sensory details. Christine's warm blood on her hands, the. deafening crack of the gunshot. [music]. Her account matches the evidence. They.

finally got him. But Brendan is not. going down without a fight. His defense. doesn't just say that investigators got. it wrong. They say the evidence was read. backwards [music] and that nearly every. detail used to make Brendan look guilty. points just as easily toward Joe and. Christine. And I could spend 10 episodes. unpacking everything, but I want to walk. you through some of the big points of. contention. Starting with the knife.

Joe's DNA couldn't be eliminated from. the handle, [music] and Christine's. couldn't be eliminated from the blade. Brendan's DNA is [music] nowhere. Yeah, but Juliana said he was already dripping. blood on Joe to stage it. So, he was. [music] basically controlling where his. DNA went. >> Yes. But Joe also had a puncture wound. on his thumb, which the defense says. could have happened when like a hand. slipped down onto the blade, like. midstep. We know that like knives can.

get slippery. [music] Brendan didn't. have a scratch on him. And those. bloodfree gaps between Joe's fingers. that I pointed out, according to the. defense, that just shows that Joe's hand. was like clenched, like shut as he's. like gripping the knife when Christine's. blood got there. [music]. Oh, and Christine's blood on Brendan's. clothes, a nothing burger. They say a. husband is trying to help his dying. wife. While a mix of Christine and Joe's. blood on the back of Brendan's jacket. shows, they say that Joe hit Brendan.

from behind. The defense also takes aim. at the investigation itself. Key. evidence was never tested for DNA. Major. blood stains in the carpet, the gun. safe, even Brendan's personal gun. How. does that happen in a double homicide? >> Well, I mean, the lab decides what gets. tested. [music]. Some items, I guess, weren't considered. useful. Others, like the gun, weren't. eligible. Still, the defense thinks that. adds up to some big unanswered. questions. [music] But honestly, the.

physical evidence in this case is the. least of the prosecution's worries. because this case sets off an internal. [ __ ] storm at the Fairfax County PD. Because it turns out the department's. own digital analyst had actually pushed. back on the catfishing theory. He. thought that if someone hijacked. Christine's devices, there would be a. time gap, like breathing room between. her normal browsing and the explicit. sexual conversations. Instead, he says. they basically like over overlapped. So,

his initial conclusion was that. Christine was in control. But isn't that. what other investigators think shows the. opposite? like that it's not her. >> Yes. And to police leadership, they. think that this analyst crossed a line. And at the end of the day, data can show. what the devices were doing, not who. used them, >> right? >> So, that guy got reassigned as did. others who apparently clashed with the. brass over this case. [music] Now, Chief.

Davis says that this whole thing was. blown out of proportion publicly, but. multiple officers say that higher-ups. pushed the catfishing theory before the. evidence backed it [music] up. To the. defense, it was textbook tunnel vision. And here's the weird kicker when it. comes to digital data. There was a. security code text sent to Christine's. phone by the chat app that the Anastasia. 9 account used with Joe. That text was. still in her messages. So, if Brendan. and Juliana were running the account,

wouldn't they have like deleted it? Then. there were some ground rules that. Anastasia 9 account set that don't. really make a ton of sense for a frame. job. No visible marks, no bodily fluids. Like, if the goal is to lure a psy, why. bother with those boundaries? Like, that. only makes sense if Christine is behind. the account. >> I mean, or if they're trying to make it. seem like more legit. >> I don't know. But strip everything away. And really, the most solid thing they.

have in this case against Brendan is. Juliana, the woman who spent a year. proclaiming her innocence and pledging. loyalty to Brendan. To the defense, she. had every reason to make up a story like. this. She's miserable in jail. You're. going to offer her time served if she. gives up Brendan on a silver platter? Like, that is a sweetheart deal. And the. defense says, "Of course, her account. matches most of the evidence now because. she got to read all of the discovery.".

>> Basically, as Brendan's trial begins in. January 2026, the defense's case boils. down to this. [music] The Fetlife. account was Christine's. She was. arranging these encounters for herself. Tragically, she got more than she. bargained for with Joe. [music] And. Juliana is lying her way out of a prison. cell, leveraging her testimony and a. potential Netflix deal. By the way, >> Netflix? Who's calling Netflix? When'd. they get here? >> She'd been shopping her story to.

producers with Netflix ties, although. she was holding out for more after they. initially only offered her $10,000. [music] And something like that appears. to actually, by the way, still be in the. works, even though her lawyer stopped. her from signing anything before. Brendan's trial. Meanwhile, you got to. remember this whole time like that this. is going on, she's been in jail. They've. been investigating. Brendan has barely. said a word about what happened that. day. So, imagine the jolt in the.

courtroom when he takes the stand. When Brendan gets on the stand, he tells. the jury he loved Christine and was. committed to his marriage. but they had. problems, especially around sex. He. wanted it more often. And he says that. she wanted something very different from. what he was into. He alleged that. Christine had affairs and at least one. of them involved BDSM and he knew that.

she was into that. [music] On his end, most flings stayed casual. Then he and. Juliana got involved in August 2022 when. Christine and their daughter were out of. town. But he made it clear to Juliana. [music] he's a married man. he wasn't. going anywhere. By February 2023, it had. pretty much run its course, he said. He. says Juliana was jealous of Christine, didn't want to deal with it anymore, and. told him that she was seeing other. people. >> Well, that obviously didn't stick. because why is she having Christine's. daughter call her mommy the night her.

mom died, was killed. >> It doesn't track. But according to. Brendan, they were still off on the. morning of February 24th, which he says. started earlier than usual. He says he. wanted to prep that morning for this big. meeting tied to one of his IRS cases. If. it went well, he might get a promotion. By the way, spot the lie. His supervisor. testifies after him, but I'll give you. the goods at the top so you have the. right lens in which to view his. testimony. What do you know? There was.

no meeting. The entire foundation of. Brendan's story is BS. >> Cool. But anyway, Brendan says that. Christine was awake in bed with her. phone and laptop when he left around 7. that morning. >> Another lie. Didn't you say her phone. was turned off earlier that morning? >> He has a response to that. He is. claiming that she had it with her. He. didn't know if she was actually like. doing anything on it. >> Then why would she stash it downstairs. in a bar cart drawer? >> It makes no sense. So Brendan says that.

he goes to McDonald's, got breakfast at. the drive-thru, then went inside just to. use the restroom for more than 7. minutes. According to surveillance. footage, >> cuz you've got to sell the lie. >> And that's when Juliana called. A. strange man had just walked into their. house. He tried Christine, got. voicemail, headed home. He said that he. thought he was probably going to be. walking in on an affair, which is why he. didn't call 911 initially. That's also. why he says he used the basement door to. get into the house. The front door would. have been noisy and he didn't want. Christine to know that she was basically.

caught. Or you didn't want Joe to get. startled and stop and have her realize. that this was all a setup. >> Yes. Then he says while he was. downstairs, the noises which sounded. sexual changed. They started sounding. forceful. So he drew his weapon and went. upstairs to the bedroom where he found. Christine naked on all fours. Kneeling. behind her was a man who he later. learned was Joe Ryan. And that guy was. fully clothed staring at him. And.

Christine warned him, "The man has a. knife." He told Joe that he was law. enforcement and to drop the knife. Joe. told him to drop the gun. It was. basically like a standoff. And at some. point, Joe also asked to leave and asked. Brendan to leave. Brendan told him that. he was under arrest. And Brendan tells. the jury that he was scared at this. point. [music] Never been more terrified. in his life. And he just repeated that. he wanted him to let her go. And then. there's this moment where the attorney. asks, "And did he say anything to you?".

And I need you to hear what he says in. his own words. So here is an excerpt. from Brendan testifying at his trial. from Court TV. >> And he did he say anything to you? >> He did. Um he he [clears throat] told me. that she was hers. That that Yeah. that. she was hers and that she gave herself. to me. And Christine.

kind of yelled, moaned. >> at this at this point also. >> Okay. I'm sorry. You said she was hers. >> She was his. Sorry. She was his. >> Can you stay say the whole statement of. what? Um, he st he said that. [clears throat] that she was his and. that she gave she gave herself to him. To me is what she gave herself to me is. what he said.

>> Okay. And and uh I'm sorry I. interrupted. What happened then? Christine. kind of. yelled or moaned and or both and. uh it seems that she went to her left, my right a little bit. Is he fumbling on. the stand because there is a lot on the. line and he's recounting a very high.

stress trauma moment? Possibly. But it's. also hard to remember what words to use. if it didn't really happen. >> I feel like the only glimpse I saw of. something real was when he was talking. about Christine like moaning. >> And you know that must have been a real. moment at some point. No matter who is. holding the knife. Brendan says that. when Christine moved, Joe lunged toward. her with the knife. She cried out and. spun away, landing on her stomach on the. floor. When Joe brought the knife down.

toward her again, Brendan fired one shot. at his head. >> Wait, how many times was she stabbed? >> Yeah, something's not adding up, right? [music] She stabbed six times in the. neck. What he just described is two. [music] And like what was he doing? Like. just standing there with his service. weapon drawn, watching his wife get. stabbed again and again and again. Like. >> yeah, >> his explanation is that he was scared to. shoot, afraid that he would miss Joe and. hit Christine. But his timeline is also.

murky. Like Brendan says, maybe Joe. stabbed her before he got in the room. Maybe it was after. Like he's not sure. He just knows that after he shot Joe, he. moved the knife away from him, sets his. gun down, and knelt beside Christine. She was still alive. Her own training. must have kicked in because she was. already applying pressure to her wounds. And she was talking to him, she said, telling him that she loved him. >> She's talking with six knife wounds. [music] to her neck. Dying words, Brit. She loves him and she's sorry. That's.

when he says Juliana appeared. He says. he was focused on Christine, covered in. her blood. So, he directed Juliana to. call 911 and to keep an eye on Joe. Now, what he doesn't know at the time, he. says, is that Juliana got his other gun. out of the safe. She knew the code. because it was the same one that they. used for the front door. According to. him, he is on the ground. Christine. telling him she loved him. When Joe hit. him in the back, another shot rang out.

and he says that he was stunned. But the. way he tells it, he also thought Juliana. may have saved his life. It's one of the. reasons he fell in love with her, he. says. But only after Christine died, that's when things got really serious. And look, you [music] can pick apart. every piece of this case. You can argue. about the knife DNA. You can question. why certain evidence was never tested. You can debate whether Juliana's. testimony is credible or self-s serving. And Brendan's defense gave the jury.

reasons to do all of that, but even if. you set aside every contested detail, every he said, she said, there is one. thing that is hard to explain away, and. it takes us right back to where this. story started. That 15-minute gap. between 911 calls. Christine had a blood. clotting disorder that made her bruise. easily and bleed more than the average. person, which means two things. [music]. One, she would never have consented to a.

violent knife play. The risk of. uncontrollable bleeding was too high, and she knew that about her own body. And two, once she was stabbed, she bled. [music] fast and hard. Prosecutors point out that Brendan knew. that that those 15 minutes weren't chaos. or panic or confusion. It was the time. he needed to stage the scene and to make. sure that by the time help arrived, Christine couldn't tell anyone what.

really happened and she wouldn't make. it. [music] Now, Brendan says that he. thought Juliana made the first 911 call. on her own from the basement while he. was already upstairs. and that the. groaning sound on the line wasn't Joe. dying, it was the family dog. And they. say that if the moan was the dog and not. a dying man, then the whole theory that. Joe was already mortally wounded while. they spent that time staging, they say. that falls apart. But the jury isn't. [music] buying it. They're out for.

nearly 9 hours over 2 days. And [music]. after that, Brendan Banfield is found. guilty on all counts. According to NBC4. Washington reporter Drew Wilder, Brendan's attorney tried to have the. verdict tossed, but the judge didn't go. for it. And on June 5th, he was. sentenced to a mandatory term of life in. prison without the possibility of. parole. The judge told Brendan that his. actions were driven by deep [music]. inherent evil. The kind of calculating,

remorseless evil she'd only seen a. couple of times before this in her 18. years on the bench. and she reminded him. that he would have been facing the death. penalty had Virginia not abolished it. just a few short years ago. [music] This. case may be closed, but a crime like. this will have ripple effects for a. lifetime. And I never want people to. forget the little girl at the center of. all of this. Christine's daughter had. lost her mother and now her father. And.

the pain that she'll have to reckon with. one day is something that people return. to again and again at Brendan's. sentencing, including Christine's. [music] sister Danielle. She will. eventually come to terms with the fact. that her father, the person who was. meant to protect her above all else, used her and put her directly in harm's. way. Now, the little girl is at the. center of a new legal battle. It appears. that Brendan's mother and Christine's. family are fighting over custody of her.

Meanwhile, a wrongful death suit filed. on Christine's behalf is pending. So. much of the story has been about the. plot, the legalities, the lies, and the. people who did this. And Christine and. Joe aren't just names in a case file. They're people. Christine had an. infectious laugh and a huge [music]. smile. And she loved the simple stuff. her family's Italian food traditions, '90s boy bands, but more than anything, [music] she loved her daughter. She was. warm and kind, the type who made others.

feel comfortable, and she was honest. So. when Brendan tried to recast her as. someone else, [music] her family knew. better. As Christine's sister, I didn't just. lose her. I had to sit and listen to a. version of her that did not exist. [music] I knew her in a way that he. never could. I knew her honesty, her. compassion, her refusal to live with. secrets. Hearing him attempt to rewrite. her life and her character felt like. losing her all over again, piece by.

piece in a room where she could not. defend herself. As for Joe, his best friend, Zulu, told. our reporter Nina, that he was goofy and. loyal, a reliable friend, and a deeply. compassionate guy. Like the type of. person who did the right thing even when. no one was watching. And in all this, I. still can't believe that Juliana got off. with time served. >> Well, hey, so actually that didn't. happen. Prosecutors recommended it as. promised, but in a huge win for this.

case. The judge decided Juliana deserves. the maximum, which was 10 years. And at. her sentencing, and again at Brendan's, Joe's mom and aunt spoke about the son. and nephew that they lost. the rock of. the family, a guy who went out of his. way to rescue old and injured dogs. They. say that Joe wasn't only murdered in. that bedroom. His character was. assassinated over and over again. Every. time that Brendan and Juliana lied about.

what happened. Here is his aunt Sangita. He didn't just take Joe and Christine. from us. He tried to erase the truth of. who they were and in doing so inflicted. further harm on the people who love. them. They're right because what Brendan did, what Juliana helped him do wasn't just. about saving themselves. They were. selling a story where they were the. heroes. But every hero needs a villain.

So Joe became the violent predator and. Christine became the immoral cheating. wife who brought this on herself. There. is zero indication any of that is true, but it's what Brendan continues to tell. the world [music] about Joe and about. his own wife, the mother of the child. both he and Juliana claimed to love so. much. And for what? So Brendan could. dodge a child support check so he could. control everything and hold on to the. house, the image, the lifestyle that he.

wanted to keep while he banged anyone. who would give him the chance. All told, Christine and Brendan were together for. nearly two decades. Like, after that. much time, you shouldn't have to look. over your shoulder or question your. partner's every move. And I don't know. what the red flag was. I don't know what. the warning sign was that something like. this was even possible. Christine's. sister said that she's replayed every. moment looking for something that she. missed. But Brendan hid so much, she.

doesn't think that anyone really knew. him. And during our reporting, we kept. hearing the same word to describe. Brendan. Narcissist. Now, I'm not a. psychologist. I'm not going to try and. diagnose a man that I've never met, but. it came up so much that it's worth. taking a minute to talk about. narcissistic abuse. Advocates often. describe it as a pattern of emotional. and psychological mistreatment that can. include gaslighting, blameshifting, constant criticism, humiliation, isolation, and more. The through line is.

control. Like wearing down another. person's confidence, their independence, and even their sense of what is real. We. don't know if that's what Christine was. dealing with. Like obviously Brendan was. unfaithful, but that doesn't tell us how. he treated her in the ordinary moments. of their marriage. What I do know is. that a person tells you who they are. through their actions. >> So listen to them. I mean, words can get. distracting. You should feel loved and. appreciated. And a person's relationship.

with themselves is like any other. Like. what you feed grows. Brendan fed his own. ego again and again. [music]. And when that's the trade someone keeps. making, when hurting the people closest. to them stops being the line that they. won't cross, the next line gets easier. to cross and then the next and then the. next. So for our crime junkies. listening, [music] above all else, remember that you are valuable. You are. not to blame and you deserve to be.

really loved.