The Murders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan: The Au Pair's Testimony + Trial Update

The Murders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan: The Au Pair's Testimony + Trial Update

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast January 22, 2026 Duration: 54:16
Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
SocietyCultureSociety & CultureTrue Crime
What happens when a suburban love affair turns deadly? When the prosecution's star witness is also negotiating a Netflix deal from her jail cell?On February 24, 2023, Christine Banfield, a beloved pediatric ICU nurse, was found dead in her Fairfax County, Virginia home. Also dead: Joseph Ryan, a man Christine had allegedly been communicating with online about violent fantasies. But prosecutors say Christine never sent those messages. They say her husband Brendan Banfield and their au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães were having an affair, and instead of getting a divorce, they hatched a plan to kill Christine and stage it as a home invasion gone wrong. In this episode, we break down the first four days of Brendan Banfield's murder trial, including Juliana's explosive testimony as the prosecution's star witness. We cover the fake online persona created to lure Joseph Ryan, the forensic evidence pointing to a staged crime scene, jailhouse love letters, and why Juliana is negotiating a Netflix deal while testifying. Make sure to check-out One Strange Thing Podcast. If you love the weird and mysterious, THIS is the show! Thank you to this week's sponsors! Get organized, refreshed, and back on track this new year for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Join the more than 3 million families who have been served by K12, and empower your student to reach their full potential now. You can make the switch at anytime. Go to K12.com/MOMS today to learn more. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between school drop-offs and grocery runs, Mandy and Melissa found a shared obsession with the unanswered questions lurking in the shadows. Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast is the result: a conversation that feels like sitting at a kitchen table with two friends who are deeply curious about the human condition. Their perspective is uniquely grounded, examining each story not just for its shock value, but for the societal threads and personal tragedies that weave it together. You’ll hear them discuss everything from the strangely specific weirdness of a Florida crime to a globally known cold case, always with a blend of empathy and a dash of necessary, dark humor. This isn't a clinical report; it's a twice-weekly deep dive fueled by a lifelong fascination with mysteries, both big and small. The tone is warm, the research is thorough, and the conversation is the kind you get hooked on. New episodes of this true crime podcast arrive every Tuesday and Thursday, ready to be your companion during a commute or while folding laundry. They’ve been asking "how did this happen?" since they were kids, and now they’re pulling up a chair for you to join that ongoing, compelling discussion.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

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Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
[Heist] The Bad Grandpas: The Hatton Garden Heist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In 2015, a group of elderly criminals—average age 63—pulled off one of the biggest jewelry heists in British history, stealing an estimated £14 million from the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company. Using old-school tactic…
[Unsolved] The Hall-Mills Murders: Forbidden Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:44
In 1922, the bodies of Reverend Edward Hall and choir singer Eleanor Mills were found under a crab apple tree in New Jersey, arranged in a macabre tableau. Their love letters were scattered around them, exposing their af…
[Unsolved] The Missing Millionaire: Captain Loewenstein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:47
In 1928, Belgian millionaire Alfred Loewenstein was flying over the English Channel in his private plane when he mysteriously vanished mid-flight. His body was later found in the sea, but the circumstances of his death r…
Justice for Megan Trussell: An Unsolved Death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:01
An 18-year-old college freshman, full of creativity and ambition, walked out of her dorm room one cold February night in 2024 and never made it back. Megan Trussell was a gifted artist and bright student at Arapahoe Comm…
Dr. Sam Sheppard: The Trial That Gripped America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:39
In 1954, Dr. Sam Sheppard's pregnant wife Marilyn was brutally murdered in their Ohio home. Sheppard claimed a "bushy-haired intruder" attacked them both, but prosecutors believed he was the killer. The sensational trial…
[Serial Killer] Belle Gunness: America's Most Deadly Widow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:15
Belle Gunness was a Norwegian immigrant who turned her Indiana farm into a graveyard. Between 1884 and 1908, she lured dozens of suitors through "lonely hearts" advertisements, promising marriage and a life on her prospe…
Charles Ponzi: The Original Pyramid Scheme [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:37
Before Bernie Madoff, before cryptocurrency scams, there was Charles Ponzi—the man who gave his name to one of history's most infamous fraud schemes. In 1920, the Italian immigrant promised investors a 50% return in just…
[Wrongful Conviction] Michael Politte: Framed for Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:45
In 1998, 14-year-old Michael Politte woke up to find his Missouri home engulfed in flames and his mother dead inside. Within hours, investigators decided Michael was the killer, despite a complete lack of physical eviden…
[Crossover] Barefoot Bandit + The Knife Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:09
At 19 years old, Colton Harris-Moore became one of America's most wanted fugitives—and a folk hero to some. Dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" because he often committed crimes without shoes, Colton stole cars, boats, and even…

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