The au pair lover of a husband accused of murdering his wife told a Virginia court he had to 'get rid' of her so they could be together. Juliana Peres Magalhães, 25, testified that Brendan Banfield, 39, did not feel he could just leave his wife Christine Banfield, 37, and so hatched the twisted plan. However, the au pair told the court that he said that divorce was not an option. The au pair pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter as part of a plea deal in exchange for cooperating in Banfield's prosecution. More than 10 minutes later, prosecutors alleged in court, Magalhães called 911 a final time and reported the emergency.

Source: Daily Mail January 14, 2026 18:02 UTC