The Au Pair Affair: The Brendan Banfield Case | Daily Scaries: Wide Awake Ep. 1

Brendan Banfield was an IRS criminal investigator who used his forensic mind to plan the perfect double murder. He catfished a stranger named Joseph Ryan through a fetish website, lured him to his Herndon, Virginia home, shot him dead, and stabbed his wife Christine Banfield — all while carrying on an affair with the family's live-in au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães.

This is the Brendan Banfield case — one of the most calculated double murders in recent American history. From the FetLife trap to the triple-pane windows installed for soundproofing, from the staged crime scene to the trial that took three years to unfold.

Brendan Banfield was sentenced to life in prison without parole on June 5, 2026. Juliana Peres Magalhães was sentenced to 10 years.

This is Daily Scaries: Wide Awake — true crime stories told in immersive detail. I'm Brian Scott.

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This episode contains descriptions of violence and may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

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