Judge Rejects Plea Deal in Banfield Case — Juliana Magalhães Gets 10 Years | Au Pair Sentencing
Judge Rejects Plea Deal in Banfield Case — Juliana Magalhães Gets 10 Years | Au Pair Sentencing  
Podcast: Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Published On: Wed Feb 18 2026
Description: The prosecution recommended time served. The judge said no.Juliana Peres Magalhães — the au pair who admitted firing the shot that killed Joseph Ryan while Brendan Banfield stabbed his wife Christine to death — was sentenced Friday to ten years in prison. Judge Penney Azcarate rejected the Commonwealth's recommendation that Magalhães walk free after roughly two years behind bars, delivering instead the maximum sentence available under the plea agreement."You do not deserve anything other than incarceration and a life of reflection on what you have done," Azcarate told Magalhães. "May it weigh heavily on your soul."The judge called this "the most serious manslaughter scenario this court has ever seen" and systematically dismantled any notion that Juliana was merely a passive participant in Brendan Banfield's scheme. She detailed how Juliana spent weeks messaging Joe Ryan, knowing she was luring him to his death. How she waited nearby and alerted Banfield when Ryan arrived. How she hung up when Christine Banfield begged her to call 911. And how she walked up to Joe Ryan as he lay moaning on the floor and shot him point blank in the heart."At any point for at least the month prior — or that day — you could have stopped this. The plan did not work without your full involvement."Joe Ryan's mother delivered a devastating victim impact statement, revealing she still hasn't taken down her Christmas tree since her son's murder — it stands behind the urn holding his ashes. "My son's life was used and thrown away, seen as worthless and utterly disposable."This episode features full analysis of the sentencing hearing, the judge's ruling, and what this means for cooperating witnesses in future cases.#JulianaMagalhaes #BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #TrueCrime #Sentencing #JudgeAzcarate #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.