Au Pair Alleges Murder Plot in Brendan Banfield Trial (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Did this husband conspire with his au pair to kill his wife and another man? Juliana Perez Magallange, an au pair who once worked for Brendan Banfield and his wife Christine in their Virginia home, is a star witness in Banfield's murder trial, describing horrifying allegations of murder to the jury.

[00:00:20] Speaker 2: I first saw him stab her with a knife.

[00:00:24] Speaker 1: Where in her body was he stabbing her? The neck. The former au pair testified that she and Banfield hatched a plan to kill his wife not long after he began an affair with Magallange in August of 2022.

[00:00:39] Speaker 2: He basically said divorce was not an option.

[00:00:42] Speaker 1: She said the two created a fake email address and an account on a fetish website where Banfield planned to find a man that they could eventually frame for his wife's murder. Prosecutors say that man was Joseph Ryan. He was told to carry out a violent rape fantasy with Banfield's wife, Christine, at their home in Virginia. Joe was to bring a knife, zip ties, chains, and most importantly, he was not to stop, even if she looked terrified, even if she was calling for help. Magallange describes what she says happened on February 24th, 2023.

[00:01:19] Speaker 2: She yelled back at Brendan saying, Brendan, he has a knife. That's when Brendan first shot Joe. I was able to see him stabbing her.

[00:01:33] Speaker 1: Magallange was initially charged with murder and originally pleaded not guilty. She later pleaded guilty to a lesser count of involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting Joseph Ryan and agreed to cooperate against Banfield with prosecutors in exchange for a recommendation that she be sentenced to time served. That's according to the plea agreement.

[00:01:55] Speaker 3: You were holding the truth yourself and no one else knew.

[00:01:59] Speaker 2: Well, Brendan is.

[00:02:01] Speaker 1: The defense, however, maintains that Banfield is innocent. They allege that the prosecution arrested Magallange and pressured her for a year before arresting Banfield to give them a confession that fits their narrative. The defense also questioned the prosecution's allegations of catfishing.

[00:02:20] Speaker 3: They offered you a trial unless you testified against Brendan.

[00:02:25] Speaker 1: Pretty much, yes. Banfield faces up to life in prison if convicted on the murder charges.