Au Pair Drops Jaw-Dropping Details in Lover’s Murder Trial

I just couldn't. [Music]. hold it. I just. couldn't give it to myself. The the. feeling of shame and guilt and sadness. and. all those feelings. That is the state's star witness, former. Opair Juliana Perez Mago Hayes, breaking. down as she tells the jury why she says. she finally confessed against Brendan. Banfield, who's now on trial, accused of.

an elaborate plot to kill his wife with. the help of his family's Opair. So, what. exactly did she reveal when she was. questioned? How did the defense attack. her credibility? We're going to take you. inside the courtroom drama. And later. on, we're talking with somebody who is. inside this prosecution. the former. prosecutor of this case, Eric Klingan. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and. Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. [Music]. All right, so we need to talk about a. trial that's happening out of Virginia.

that is captivating the nation this. week. This is one that you will. definitely definitely know. It is a. suburban dad, an alleged secret affair. with the family's Opair, and a double. murder reportedly set up through a. fetish website. We're talking about. Brendan Banfield, a former IRS agent on. trial for the aggravated murder of his. wife Christine and another man, Joseph. Ryan. And prosecutors say that it was a. chilling calculated plot that Banfield.

and the Opair Juliana Perez Malgo Hayes. allegedly created a fake online profile, lured Ryan to the home, making him think. he was walking into a consensual. roleplaying scenario. And then. prosecutors say Banfield executed them. both. And the only eyewitness to the. actual killings allegedly the Opair. She. has already plead guilty in this case. Plead guilty to manslaughter in a deal. with the state. Although is it a deal? You're going to hear what we're going to. talk about later. And this week, by the.

way, she took the stand against the man. she once called her lover. So, we're. going to take you inside the courtroom. We have the dramatic testimony, including why she says she finally. decided to flip on Brendan Banfield. In. fact, take a listen to this. >> So, what ultimately made you decide that. you were going to enter this plea. >> was the the thought of being the right. thing to do. I guess we all deserved to. to know what really happened and I just. couldn't.

hold it. I just. couldn't keep it to myself. The the. feeling of shame and guilt and sadness. and. all those feelings. >> But I have to tell you, the defense, they are attacking her credibility head. on, or at least trying to. They're. calling her a liar who fabricated a dark. story to save herself. And this is a. case that has so much recordings, a. supposedly staged crime scene, little.

girl who police say was also inside the. house that morning. And later, as I. mentioned before, we are going to be. joined by somebody who has very unique. insight into the prosecution's case, a. former member of the prosecution team. So stay with us on that. We'll provide a. lot of context. But how did we get here? How did a quiet morning in Virginia and. in this culde-sac end with two people. dead and a federal employee in a legal. fight for his life? The story police. believe today is a world away from what. they say they first saw. You go back to.

that day, February 24th, 2023. The first. 911 call described a home invasion. Brendan Banfield, an IRS agent, told. dispatchers that he had just shot an. intruder who stabbed his wife. And when. police arrive, the scene is chaotic. Their body cam shows them focusing on. two people here. Banfield's terrified. daughter and the family's nanny, this. Opair, Juliana Perez Mago. >> That is the guy who came here. >> Okay. >> Um.

was they were yelling each other. He was. saying like drop drop the the I'm sorry, my. >> No, no, no. You're doing really well. Um. he was saying drop drop drop drop drop. drop drop drop drop drop drop drop drop. drop drop drop drop drop drop drop drop. drop the. oh. >> the knife or the gun. >> the gun and then said no police don't. drop the knife and then he was say I'm. going to kill her I'm going to kill her. >> and I don't know he he stab he started.

stabbing her I think Brennan shot him. >> that was her story then a stranger a. sudden attack a heroic shooting but. detectives investigators they say they. saw holes why was there no forced entry. How did she appear so certain of that. timeline? And the biggest red flag was. the relationship that authorities. discovered that Brendan Banfield and his. young Opair weren't just employer and. employee, they were secretly.

romantically involved. The nanny started. working for the Banfields in 2021, and. by 2022, prosecutors allege he didn't. just want to leave his wife, he wanted. her gone permanently. He allegedly told. this Opair that divorce was quote not an. option, that he didn't want to share. custody of his daughter or his money. And that is when the prosecution claims. a digital plot was born. Because they. claim that these two, Banfield and. Malhays, use Christine's own work. computer to create a fake profile on.

this fetish site, Fetife, posing as. Christine. They've reportedly spent. weeks searching for the right person to. lure into a violent rape fantasy. roleplay. Someone who would agree to. show up at a stranger's house without. ever meeting first. And they apparently. found their person, 39-year-old Joseph. Ryan through messages. Christine. Christine gave Ryan his script. Show up. on February 24th. The door will be. unlocked. I'll be asleep. Bring a knife.

Bring restraints. Don't stop even if I. scream. Now, Ryan, seemingly believing. this was all a consensual scene with. adults, followed the instructions. Now, meanwhile, police claim Banfield was. preparing. He allegedly bought the Opair. a gun, took her to a shooting range. He. apparently had soundproof windows. installed. He scouted the neighborhood. for security cameras, according to. authorities. And on the morning of the. 24th, that alleged plan got underway. According to authorities, according to.

police, Banfield pretended to leave for. work, but waited at a nearby McDonald's. The Opair waited in a car down the. street with the couple's four-year-old. daughter. And when Ryan arrived and. entered the house, police claimed the. Opair called Banfield. He allegedly. raced his back, investigators believe. they went in through the basement, left. the little girl downstairs, and went up. to the master bedroom. And what happened. next comes from the Opair's new story, the one that she is now telling in. court, because she claims Banfield shot.

Ryan in the head. And then as Christine. pleaded for her life, Banfield allegedly. took Ryan's knife and stabbed his wife. repeatedly. And when they realized that. Ryan was apparently still moving, still. alive, Banfield allegedly told the Opair. to quote, "Finish him." And she shot. Ryan in the chest. Then they called 911. So for months, Banfield stuck to this.

home invasion story, right? But the. investigation kept circling back. In. October of 2023, the Opair was arrested, isolated in jail for a year, facing a. murder charge. She finally cut a deal. Deal. Deal. Maybe maybe she pleaded. guilty to manslaughter for shooting Ryan. and in exchange she has to provide. testimony against Banfield. Now her. testimony this week is the crux of the. prosecution's case. Now Brendan. Banfield, he sits in that Fairfax.

courtroom. He has pleaded not guilty. His defense insists that he was just a. husband who was defending his home from. a deranged intruder. That the Opair is a. desperate liar who framed him to save. herself. and he's on trial now for four. counts of aggravated murder and one. count of use of a firearm in the. commission of a felony, potentially. facing life in prison without parole. And when this trial got underway, it. didn't start quietly. The weight of the. entire case, as both sides have said. from the start, rests on the shoulders.

of one person, the credibility of Mong. Hayes, the now 25-year-old Brazilian. Opair, the only apparent eyewitness to. the killings, and she is testifying now. for the prosecution. So to understand. the stakes, you just got to listen to. the opening statements because the. prosecution laid out a story of what. they claim is a meticulous coldblooded. planning. >> We're here today because Brendan. Banfield, the man seated behind me, killed his wife, Christine Banfield, and. another man named Joseph Ryan. Those two.

individuals had no reason to know each. other but for the plotting and planning. of Brendan Banfield. Christine back in. 2022 was 37 years old. She was an ICU. nurse working at Anova Fairfax. She was. married to Brendan who was then 38 and. they had a daughter, four-year-old. Valerie. Christine worked odd shifts. She was a nurse. If any of you know what. nurses hours are, she could work nights.

The schedule was irregular. It didn't. occur with a 9-to-five pattern. So, regular daycare was not an option for. the family. They hired an Opair, Juliana. Perez Magis. She was from Brazil. She. was 22 years old when she joined the. family. She provided care while Brendan. traveled for work and Christine worked. her nurse's hours. The family lived in. the rest area of Fairfax County at 13230. Stable Brookway. You'll hear that a that. address referenced. You'll see pictures. of the home. you'll have the opportunity.

to understand what the layout of the. house was as it is very relevant to what. happened in February of 2023. Taking you back in August of 2022, Brendan began an affair with Juliana. Initially, it was just sex when. Christine was at work or asleep, but. eventually it developed into a. relationship. They went on dates. They. went to bars, clubs, dancing. They went. on romantic bike rides. By the fall of. 2022, they were fully in love, planning.

their future. On a trip to New York, Brendan revealed his desire to get rid. of Christine. Divorce was not an option. for him. He didn't want to lose custody. of Valerie. He didn't even want to share. custody of Valerie. He thought Christine. was a terrible mother. He wanted her out. of the picture. and he convinced young. Juliana, 22 years old, not from the. United States, living in his home, in. love with him, that they should get rid.

of Christine. >> But the defense came out swinging just. as hard. Their target, their focus, the. Opair's credibility, the investigation. itself. >> So the the murder of Christine Banfield. by Joe Ryan occurred on February 24th, 2023. The arrest of Julia Juliana Perez. Magalhees. took place in October of 2023. She was held for nearly.

another year. before she made the statements that are. the full and complete support of what. the Commonwealth just told you. And she did that because the. Commonwealth decided that they were. going to give her something certain. They were going to give her a plea of. guilty to a manslaughter, which is a. lesserinccluded offense and guaranteed. time served upon her testimony here.

today or tomorrow or whenever that. testimony is. And I would respectfully. suggest that Juliana Perez Magaz. um is the lynch pin to all of that. Now um. ultimately it's the EV evidence. It's not what I say. It's not what the. Commonwealth says. But I say these things to you so that. your ear is ready because you're going.

to see a presentation of a horrible, tragic, awful event for everyone. involved. And there's no disputing that. And as I. said earlier, we're not disputing, you. won't hear any dispute as to the uh. relationship between um Brendan Banfield. and Juliana Perez Magis. But there's an awful lot more to look. for, ladies and gentlemen. And that's. what I'm asking you to do. >> at this. Again, at the center of this.

entire case, this entire trial is one. witness, Juliana Perez Mago Hayes. Over. two days on the stand, she gave the jury. her account of a meticulously planned. murder and faced a brutal. cross-examination designed to shatter. her credibility. First up, the. prosecution. They walked her through the. heart of the case, the alleged plot to. lure Joseph Ryan. This was on direct. examination. Who chose Joe? >> Brendan. >> And did he say why he picked Joe after.

interacting with him on Fet Life? It was. mostly because he made Brandon feel. confident enough that he would be the. person to. to play the role they needed the person. to play, which means. being aggressive and. hold her down and come over to the house. and bring stuff and all that. Yeah.

And um. did you and the defendant ever use any. other form of communication with Joe. Ryan? >> Yes. >> And what form of communication was that? >> It was telegram. >> And were you present when the telegram. account was created? >> Yes. >> Who created the telegram account? >> Brendan. >> And how did he do that? He used her laptop on its anonymous page.

and he had her cell phone with him at. the time because he needed to. um receive a code on her cell phone so. she could create the account on. Telegram. >> And how did you and the defendant. communicate with Joe Ryan on Telegram? >> Play the role. That's how she described. luring a man to his death. But then what.

happened on cross? The defense went. nuclear on her credibility. They. confronted her with her own words from. jail before she took this plea. >> Yes. That's. >> This is a letter that you wrote, it. looks like on December 8th, 2023. >> Yes. >> And that would have been about two. months after you were arrested on this. charge. >> Yes. Correct. and uh calling your. attention to um. the highlighted portion. >> Did you ask me? I'm sorry. I was.

reading. >> I was asking you to read it. Yes. Have. you read it? >> Yeah, I read it. >> Okay. And the yellow portion there, can. you read that, please? >> Yes. Well, now that you know parenthesis, I mean. they already knew. close parenthesis that I'm not going to. cooperate with them. There is nothing I. can do. So I don't know what they are. going to use. I mean everything they. have and can I don't know everything. I.

just have the feeling they might hold me. here until my trial. It can take months, years. There are many theories of what. had happened set up by you us or I. wasn't supposed to be there and etc. >> Okay. Um in this letter um. which you wrote, it suggests that someone from the. Commonwealth had been talking to you.

about cooperating against Brendan. Is. that correct? >> No, they never talked directly with me. >> Okay. How would they communicate that to. you? >> Through my lawyer. [Music]. Okay. >> And so this is 2 months after you were. arrested. >> Mhm. >> Um and were they were you given an.

opportunity to plead guilty and. cooperate at that time? >> Yes. >> Okay. And what was it that they were. offering you at that time? At that. point, uh, my lawyer had said that they. were offering, um, in exchange for my. cooperation, they would offer me a. misdemeanor and I would be released on. time served. >> Okay. And, um, your, I guess, as I understand. it, your lawyer communicated that to you.

and then you made the decision as to. that. >> Yeah. >> And what was your decision? >> That I I didn't want it. Okay. So, you. rejected the the misdemeanor offer. >> Yes. >> Based on what you knew. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And then she said they wanted her to. lie. Now she's telling their story to. walk free. The defense argument here is. a direct challenge to the jury. Which. version of Juliana Perez Mago's story do.

you believe? Where does this monumental. case go from here? The Opair's testimony. is done. The trial's far from over. more. forensic witnesses, digital experts, investigators, they're expected to take. the stand. But the core conflict is now. crystal clear for the jury. A detailed, horrifying story of plot, murder, that's. the allegation versus the claim that the. entire narrative was fabricated by a. witness who traded her testimony for her. freedom. Now, I want to do something. different. I want to bring on somebody. who was attached to this case. Somebody.

who was inside this prosecution. Someone. who could give us an inside look at this. case. Context. the former prosecutor on. this case. Now, before we do that, I do. have to tell you something. Eric. Klingan, the person we're about to bring. on, he was the original lead prosecutor. on this case, but he was cited for. drinking in public last year. But I will. tell you, I will tell you this is an. allegation that was later dropped. Okay? The charges were dropped, but he was. dismissed from the case nonetheless. Now, let's bring him on. Okay? So, now I. have a special guest. I'm joined by Eric.

Klingan, former deputy Commonwealth. attorney and the lead prosecutor on this. case from Fairfax Fairfax County, Virginia. Thank you so much for taking. the time uh to talk about this now that. it's really really in the news. I think. the one point of. confusion people may have at least I had. when I initially saw this case is what. is the main theory here, right? Like. what is the motive? >> Right? So the motive is that there are. two people involved here. Brendan.

Banfield, Juliana Perez Magahis. Effectively, she's the old pair. He. takes a liking to her. She takes a. liking to him. They start an affair in. August of 2022. And as opposed to just like sexual. diances, this thing got deeper and. deeper until it came to a point where. Brendan had decided he wanted to get rid. of Christine and a divorce was not an. option. Um, sometimes that happens. around here and sometimes that happens. in other places. Divorces can be.

expensive. Your dirty laundry gets aired. out there. He decided that the way to. deal with the problem is simply to find. a way to eliminate her entirely. And so. that is the idea. He gets to keep the. child. He gets to keep the house, whatever, you know, life insurance and. whatever money might be out there. He. wanted all of that and Juliana. And he. and he thought he could get away with. that. >> And what about her? Like she she plead.

guilty. And I was curious why you think. she plead guilty and what maybe her. motivation was in all of this. Well, I'll tell you from the moment I started. on this case, one of our main thoughts. was we could get her to turn. And so we. we we did multiple times made overtures. to her counsel um to discuss possibly um. you know, turning against Brendan, telling us the truth, telling us what. really happened. Well, at the same time,

she's on the phone with him, she's. talking to him, she's talking to his. family. And so she's got a lawyer who's. telling her, "Look, even though you did. shoot somebody, you know, under the. circumstances that the juryy's going to. hear, that's defense of others." And we. got a shot at not guilty here, maybe. you're looking at a manslaughter. We. have jury sentencing here in Virginia, which means that a jury might have taken. pity on her if they did find her guilty. of manslaughter. Um, so that was what. his what her defense attorney was.

talking about, and so she had. confidence. Well, when we got the. indictment in September, 2 months before. her November trial in 2024, when we got. that indictment, that changed everything. for her. She was isolated. She was. insecure. She was depressed. She didn't. have that lifeline anymore. She didn't. have anybody to give her confidence. And. she also recognized that one of the two. of them was possibly going to be able to. cut a deal at that point. And the jig.

was up. She didn't want to find herself. getting thrown under the bus. So, effectively, she decided that enough was. enough and she wanted to come clean. There's one thing that has been. constantly stated in various media. outlets that I think it's really. important on your show that we clarify. this completely. I mean, I was there on. the ground floor when the plea happened. Juliana does not have a plea agreement. that says that at the end of this case.

she's walking. There is no agreement as. to her sentence. There is a. recommendation that the Commonwealth has. put forward. But that is not binding on the judge. So. it's important to know that she is still. facing up to 10 years uh under a. manslaughter charge in Virginia. no. matter what happens here. Now, obviously, if things go a certain way, there's going to be arguments and.

discussions with regards to that. But as. things are right now, there is no agreed. sentence in this case. >> That that's an important point. So, in. other words, whether the prosecution. believes at the end of the day she. testified truthfully or she didn't. testify truthfully, um there's no. promise to her whatsoever. >> Not at this stage. now and that can. change and I don't know whether it will. >> And now she's uh testifying in this very. uh public trial. Um I know you I know.

Eric you're you're limited in what you. could say given your prior role, but. have you been watching the trial? I. mean, do you have some initial thoughts. on what you're seeing so far? >> Yeah, you know, I I can tell you this. They're putting forward a case. Um the. Commonwealth is the prosecutor's office. they're putting forward a case um very. quickly. Uh I will tell you that I was. surprised how fast they are moving. Um. but I understand that that there was. there's been a lot of stipulations to a.

lot of pieces of evidence so they didn't. have to go through a lot of hoops that. you would have to otherwise go through. So they're going through the motions and. they're going through those motions very. quickly. Um that a little bit surprising. to me. Um, also there there are other. there's other things that they could um. be be emphasizing. um with regards to the evidence that. they've put out there. Um I'm thinking. they're just holding their arguments. until closing arguments. Sometimes. that's what you do, right? you you just.

hang the pictures in the room and you. don't describe them until the you know. you have to until that until the jury. then is thinking about it at closing. arguments then you tell them what each. picture means and that's when they can. actually make the connection and it's. always better for a juror to make the. connection as opposed to you telling. them to make the connection because once. they make the connection they own it and. that's what you want them to.

That's a really good point. Um, when. you're seeing this case progress and. you're seeing the prosecution put. forward the case and and you anticipate. what the defense is saying, I mean, what. do you think in your opinion? What are. some of the biggest challenges for the. prosecution in this kind of case? I. actually think the biggest challenge. right now for the prosecution is. figuring out if Brendan is going to. testify and if he is how to deal with. him on cross because we don't know his.

version right I mean we don't know we. know what we believe happened in that. room but at the same time we have never. seen him in terms of how emotional he. might get we have never seen him in. terms of how can he make a conction. connection with the jury. We don't know. whether or not he is going to be able to. fight back in cross-examination. Will he. fight back or is it possible he's going. to take a a lower tone and be the meek. and mild person that this jury could.

never believe would do something like. this? It's very difficult when you're. dealing with a case like this to predict. whether the defendant is going to tell. the story and and then to prepare for. it. And here's the worst part. You have. to prepare for it regardless. >> So you spend all your nights of trial, you know, your days you're doing the. trial, at night you're writing, you. know, your cross-examination and then uh. at the end he doesn't testify. Well, you. know what? You were better, you were. better to prepare for it. So that's the.

number one challenge I think they have. I think another challenge that they have. is ex basically predicting what his ex. what the defense is. Even if he doesn't. testify, what is the defense's. explanation here? Is it really that. Christine, this mother of this child in. this house, in this family relationship? Is the jury going to buy that she really. was this like Dr. Jackekal, Mr. Hyde.

type individual? Um, and and that's. that's a real good question if that's. what the defense is actually going to. put forward. Um, at the same time, the. defense may, I think they alluded to. this in their opening statement, and so. did the Commonwealth to some degree, they may actually, you know, avoid that. and just go with there's reasonable. doubt. There's some problems with this. investigation. Here are the warts. Let. me show you what the problems are. They. didn't prove their case. If you go that.

route, your client doesn't have to. testify, but you're leaving it to the. jury to decide. You know, Eric, you're. making uh really good legal points on. this um for, you know, our viewers to. listen to and understand as this trial. progresses. Um but there is something to. keep in mind and sometimes it gets lost. in these kinds of cases. It's the. victim, right? As a prosecutor, did you. learn a lot more about Christine? I. mean, what what did you learn about her? What should people know about her? Um.

because this isn't just, you know, the. Opair trial and and the sensational. details. I mean, someone lost their life. and you wonder about Christine. Um, what. should we know about her? >> From what I understand, and again, I I'm. not able to talk too much about um. evidence that's not in evidence in this. case, but all indications. based on photographs and based on um the. evidence that has been um brought out so. far, she was a good mother. She was a a.

wife who appeared beautiful and um you. know she took care of her family. She's. a nurse. I mean she's she's somebody who. gives people health, gives people life. I mean that that that takes a certain. character just on its own, right? And. any nurse um and so she was that she was. she was a beautiful person. Um, and this. is this makes the tragedy of it all even.

more so. And and um you know, my heart. goes out to the the entire family as it. had from the day I first started working. on this case. >> And what about Joseph? >> Well, Joe was also, believe it or not, um a very um easygoing individual. um he. he he is not uh the the person that has. been, you know, shown in certain. photographs that I've seen that the.

media has used. Um the there's a picture. of him that that does sort of. encapsulate him in my view, my. estimation best, there's that picture of. him and he's got the dog and it's over. his shoulder and the dog is I think. licking um his cheek. And I got to tell. you, if if that does not um if that does. not encapsulate Joe, I don't know what. does. That's Joe Ryan right there. Um. you know, I I there's not much more I. can say other than these two individuals.

um unnecessarily and very um. horrifically got themselves into a. situation or at least found themselves. in a situation that um is like I said, just tragic for both of them given who. they were. Um, Eric, before I wrap. things up, look, I I I have to give you. the floor um here because I wanted you, if there was anything you want to share. about the circumstances of you stepping. away, uh, from this case, I wanted to. give you the opportunity on this.

platform to talk about it. >> Well, I appreciate that, Jesse. Um, look, at this point, what I can tell you. is I didn't step away from this case. Um, so I I can tell you that I did not. step away from this case. Um, and I. think as a lawyer yourself, um, the way. I'll put it, I guess, is, uh, having. been with this case for over two years, we've all known the the old adage where. the lawyer says, "The judge, uh, I don't. mind you trying my case, just don't lose.

it.". >> And that's how I feel about how things. are going right now. They're going well. They're doing a good job. And I hope. they bring it home. Eric Cllingan, I uh I appreciate that. I. respect that. Understand. Uh thank you. for taking the time to shed a little bit. more light on what you can uh in this. very uh you know this case that a lot of. people are watching, a lot of people are. invested in. Um so thank you. Always. appreciate it. >> Thank you, Jesse. Take care. >> And that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so.

much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your. podcasts. You can follow me on X or. Instagram. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak. to you next time. [Music].