A Virginia au pair pleads guilty to manslaughter in a gruesome double murder

An au pair from Virginia pleaded guilty to murder on Tuesday in connection with the 2023 murders his employer’s wife and another man.

Juliana Peres Magalhaes’ employer, Brendan Banfield, was charged with murder last month in the case – a year after Magalhaes was arrested and charged.

Prosecutors said Magalhaes and Banfield began an extramarital affair in August 2022, and this fall Banfield expressed a desire to “get rid of” his wife, Christine Banfield, according to a plea agreement obtained by ABC News.

According to prosecutors, Brendan Banfield allegedly developed this plan over the following months. But prosecutors said Magalhaes did not want to proceed with the case at several points and allegedly did not believe Banfield would do so, according to the plea agreement.

On the eve of the double murder, Brendan Banfield allegedly created a profile on the sexual fetish website FetLife, where he found a man named Joe Ryan and provided details of the plea deal. He then allegedly told Magalhaes to call Ryan, identifying himself as Christine Banfield, to confirm that the two were willing to have sex at her home using a “push-down,” according to prosecutors.

According to the prosecutor’s plea agreement, when Ryan arrived at the home in February 2023, Banfield allegedly shot him in the head and then stabbed his wife. Prosecutors say Magalhaes then also shot Ryan.

Magalhaes then allegedly called 911 and pretended Ryan was an intruder, prosecutors say.

Magalhaes initially faced second-degree murder charges in Ryan’s death. On Tuesday, Magalhaes pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter.

She faces up to 10 years in prison.

Her sentencing is scheduled for March 21, after Banfield’s February trial.

“Today’s settlement represents a significant step forward in this case and represents important progress in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families,” Fairfax County Prosecutor Steve Descano said in a statement read outside the courthouse. “Much of the information that led to this agreement cannot be made public at this time due to the upcoming criminal trial against the second defendant in this case.”

ABC News’ Cristina Corbin, Briana Stewart and Gemma Schneider contributed to this report.