Fairfax County Police Department
The mother of a Brazilian au pair accused of shooting a man dead in the Virginia home of her employer made a series of intriguing claims about the case over the weekend—including that her daughter had acted in self-defense.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 23, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder last week in the death of 39-year-old Joseph Ryan in the town of Herndon on Feb. 24. At the scene—which the Fairfax County Police Department described as “appalling”—officers also found Magalhaes’ employer, Christine Banfield, who had suffered stab wounds.
Banfield, 37, was rushed to a local hospital where she died from her injuries. Police have not charged Magalhaes in Banfield’s death, with the investigation into her fatal stabbing still ongoing.