In a chilling twist to a gruesome murder case that has gripped the attention of true-crime enthusiasts globally, 24-year-old Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, accused of a double murder in a Virginia mansion, has expressed her weariness of incarceration.
In a recent email to her mother from Fairfax County Jail, she lamented, "I am tired of this place, this situation. I am unhappy, and nothing makes me happy. I just want to get out of here and go back home to be with you guys. We will be together soon, with Gods grace, mommy."
According to The New York Post, Magalhaes, who was allegedly embroiled in a passionate affair with her 39-year-old employer, IRS investigator Brendan Banfield, is charged with the fatal shooting of Joseph Ryan. Ryan, a stranger with fetishistic tendencies, was allegedly stabbing Banfields wife to death when Magalhaes and her lover walked in on the horrific scene on February 24, 2023.
The prosecution alleges that Ryan was lured to the Banfield's million-dollar home via a sexual fetish online site. Upon their arrival, Brendan reportedly shot and wounded Ryan. However, it was Magalhaes who delivered the fatal shots after retrieving another firearm hidden in the house.
While Magalhaes asserts self-defense, the prosecution contends that the entire incident was a calculated scheme by Magalhaes to eliminate Christine Banfield. They argue that Ryan was an unwitting pawn in this macabre plot. The identity of the person who created an account on the fetish dating app, allegedly linked to Christine under the pseudonym Annastasia9, remains unknown.
The prosecution also casts doubt on the circumstances that led Magalhaes to leave the house early in the morning for a zoo trip with the Banfields young child, only to return shortly after, allegedly having forgotten their lunches. Brendan had left the house minutes after Magalhaes and waited in a nearby McDonalds parking lot until she called him upon her return.
The pair entered the house together and shot Ryan, according to authorities. The prosecution questions why Brendan did not use his service revolver until after Ryan was allegedly stabbing his wife and why Magalhaes felt the need to retrieve her own weapon. The duo reportedly waited ten minutes before dialing 911.
Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Kelsey Gill, during a court hearing in December, argued, "That is not what a person in that situation would do unless they were trying to cover something up." Brendan has not been charged and invoked his Fifth Amendment rights when questioned in court. No one has been charged with Christine's murder.
Magalhaes, who became a part of the Banfield household in 2021, remains charged only with Ryans shooting death as investigators continue to untangle the complex murder case. Her mother, Marina Peres Souza, staunchly defends her daughter's innocence. Speaking in Portuguese, she referred to Magalhaes as her "little rare jewel" and insisted that her daughter is not the one who should be incarcerated. She fervently prayed, "for the prosecutors and the judge to understand who is guilty in this case, because it is not Juliana."
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