The Woman Who Helped Him Plan It Just Told the Jury Everything

She was 22 years old when she came to America. A young woman from Brazil, hired to care for a four-year-old girl in a quiet Virginia suburb. By all accounts, she was good at her job. The mother, Christine Banfield, described her as friendly. Welcoming.

Then she started sleeping with the husband.

Today, Juliana Peres Magalhães took the stand in Fairfax County Circuit Court and told the jury she helped Brendan Banfield plan his wife's murder for months. She described creating fake online profiles in Christine's name. Training at a shooting range. Testing soundproof windows. Selecting Joe Ryan as the man who would be lured to the house and killed.

She told the jury she watched Brendan stab Christine in the neck while she covered her eyes and ears. She admitted she shot Joe Ryan herself.

And now the question the jury has to answer: Is she telling the truth?

The Deal She Got

Juliana Peres Magalhães was originally charged with second-degree murder. That carries up to 40 years in prison. She sat in jail for over a year, rejecting multiple plea offers from prosecutors.

Then, in October 2024, she flipped.

Under her plea agreement, Juliana pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. If she testifies against Brendan Banfield as required, prosecutors will recommend time served. She's already been in custody for over two years. If the deal holds, she walks free and gets deported to Brazil.

From potential life in prison to walking out the door. That's the deal.

The defense will hammer this. John Carroll has already told the jury that Juliana rejected multiple deals because she didn't want to lie. She only changed her story, he argues, when she lost hope and decided to say whatever prosecutors needed to hear.

Is that what happened? The jury will have to decide.

What Her Testimony Actually Proves

Here's what I'm watching for, and what you should be watching for too.

Juliana's testimony, if believed, provides the narrative. She explains how the catfishing scheme worked, why Joe Ryan was selected, how the murder was planned, and what happened inside that bedroom. Without her, the prosecution has evidence but no story to tie it together.

But here's the thing about cooperating witness testimony: it's only as strong as the evidence that corroborates it.

The prosecution anticipated this. In their opening statement, they told the jury not to believe Juliana alone. They said the blood evidence, the phone records, the FetLife chats, and the Telegram messages would all support her account. "The blood cannot lie," the prosecutor said.

So that's what I'm looking for. Every claim Juliana makes, I want to see proof that doesn't depend on taking her word for it. If the physical evidence matches her story, that's powerful. If it doesn't, that's a problem.

The Defense's Problem

John Carroll has a digital forensics expert who concluded Christine Banfield was controlling her own devices. The same expert was transferred out of the unit after reaching that conclusion. The lead homicide detective was also moved after expressing doubts about the catfishing theory.

That's the defense position: police decided Brendan was guilty and built a case around that conclusion. Anyone who disagreed got pushed aside.

But here's the defense's challenge: Juliana's testimony is detailed. It's specific. She knows things that would be hard to fabricate. She knows about the shooting range visits, the phone trade-ins, the soundproofing tests, the neighbor surveillance for Ring cameras. If she made all of this up, she's remarkably well-informed about a plot she claims she didn't participate in.

The defense will argue she participated but is lying about Brendan's role. That she's the one who created the accounts, lured Joe Ryan, and orchestrated the murder. They'll point to the fact that she had a gun that morning, that she admits she shot Joe Ryan, that she was present for everything.

That's a harder sell when she's the one providing the details. But stranger things have happened in courtrooms.

What This Moment Means

Today's testimony is the prosecution's bet. They're all in on Juliana Peres Magalhães. If the jury believes her, Brendan Banfield is likely going away for life. If they don't, this case falls apart.

Cross-examination will be brutal. John Carroll will walk her through every deal she rejected, every time she said she wouldn't lie, and then confront her with why she's suddenly willing to tell this story now. He'll ask about her January 2024 letter to Brendan. He'll ask why her account changed. He'll ask whether prosecutors coached her on what to say.

I'll be watching every minute of it.

▶️ WATCH NOW Co-Conspirator Reveals How Brendan Banfield Planned His Wife's Murder for Months

A four-year-old girl lost her mother that morning. She was in the basement when it happened. Whatever the truth is, that fact doesn't change.

Let's watch the system together.