IRS Agent MURDERS Wife in Catfishing Plot

A trusted federal agent exploited his position and orchestrated a heinous double murder while endangering his own child, exposing shocking failures in government vetting and raising urgent questions about those granted authority and firearms in our agencies.

Story Highlights

Former IRS agent Brendan Banfield convicted of murdering his wife and an innocent man in an elaborate catfishing scheme to cover an illicit affair with the family’s au pair
Banfield stabbed his wife seven times and shot Joseph Ryan after luring him via a fetish website, staging the scene to frame Ryan as an intruder
The au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and testified against Banfield in exchange for time served and deportation
Banfield’s four-year-old daughter was left alone in the basement during the murders, resulting in additional child endangerment charges
The case raises serious concerns about IRS employee vetting and the power entrusted to federal agents with government-issued firearms

IRS Agent’s Deadly Plot Unveiled

Brendan Banfield, a 40-year-old IRS agent, was convicted on all counts February 2, 2026, for orchestrating the February 2023 murders of his wife Christine, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 39. Prosecutors presented compelling evidence that Banfield created a fake profile on fetish website FetLife, posing as his wife to lure Ryan to their Fairfax County, Virginia home under the guise of a violent sexual encounter. Banfield stabbed Christine seven times in the neck and shot Ryan in the head with his government-issued firearm, attempting to frame Ryan as a home invader. This calculated deception allowed a federal employee to weaponize his authority and access in service of personal betrayal.

Affair With Au Pair Drives Motive

The prosecution established that Banfield’s affair with the family’s au pair, 25-year-old Juliana Peres Magalhães, fueled his deadly scheme. By October 2022, Banfield expressed to Magalhães his desire to eliminate his wife, fearing a costly divorce that would grant Christine more money and potentially separate him from the au pair he claimed to love. Blood evidence at the scene contradicted Banfield’s self-defense claims, placing him as the aggressor. Detective Giaccio testified that physical evidence alone was sufficient for charges, independent of the au pair’s testimony, undermining defense assertions of investigative bias and coercion.

Co-Conspirator Turns State’s Witness

Magalhães initially participated in the plot but later accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to manslaughter in exchange for time served and deportation to Brazil. Her testimony proved pivotal during the nine-day trial, corroborating prosecutors’ narrative that Banfield masterminded the murders to avoid divorce and secure custody of his daughter. Defense attorney John Carroll challenged her credibility, arguing she received a sweetheart deal and was pressured into implicating Banfield. However, the jury sided with the prosecution’s evidence, which included framed photographs of Banfield and Magalhães discovered after the murders, further exposing the illicit relationship driving the conspiracy.

Child Endangerment and Family Destruction

Banfield’s four-year-old daughter was left alone in the basement during the brutal killings, resulting in a child endangerment conviction alongside two counts of aggravated murder and firearm use charges. This unconscionable act underscores the depravity of Banfield’s actions, prioritizing selfish desires over his own child’s safety and well-being. The verdict brings some measure of justice for Christine Banfield’s family and Joseph Ryan’s mother, who publicly mourned an innocent man lured to his death. Banfield now faces life in prison, with sentencing pending, while his daughter faces lifelong trauma from her father’s choices.

This case exposes troubling vulnerabilities in federal employment vetting processes. Banfield held a position of trust within the IRS, wielding a government-issued firearm and authority over American taxpayers, yet proved capable of premeditated murder and elaborate deception. The use of a fetish website to catfish and frame an innocent victim reveals the dangerous intersection of technology and criminal intent. Patriots rightfully demand accountability: How did someone capable of such evil gain and maintain federal employment? What safeguards failed? As federal agencies expand under various administrations, rigorous screening and ongoing oversight become non-negotiable to protect communities and uphold the integrity Americans expect from those granted power in their name.