Au pair charged with murder in Herndon double homicide: police
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - A 23-year-old au pair has been charged with shooting one of the victims of a brutal double homicide that took place at a Herndon home in February of this year, Fairfax County police say.
Police say following a seven-month investigation, Juliana Peres Magalhaes has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Joseph Ryan. But police have not yet said who killed 37-year-old Christine Banfield, who was also found in the home with several stab wounds.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes
The investigation began on Feb. 24 when officers were called to the 13200 block of Stable Brook Way near the Hattontown neighborhood.
The first 911 call from the home came in just before 8:00 a.m. but the caller hung up. When a second call was placed 13 minutes later, both Peres Magalhaes and Banfield's husband were on the line.
Peres Magalhaes first told the dispatcher that her "friend" was hurt. Then Banfield's husband told the dispatcher that he had shot an unknown man who allegedly barged into his home and stabbed his wife.
Fairfax County police say when detectives arrived to investigate, they walked into "an appalling scene."
Banfield was found in an upstairs bedroom with stab wounds to her upper body. Ryan — the man accused of stabbing Banfield — was found nearby with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body.
Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene. Banfield was taken to an area hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later.
2 dead after shooting, stabbing inside Fairfax County home: police
At a press conference, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said that they received a 911 call and responded to the home. There they found a woman suffering from stab wounds and a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The man died at the scene and the woman was pronounced dead a short time later.
Police have not confirmed if Ryan was the person who stabbed Banfield to death or why he was inside the home during the incident but they did note that there were no signs of forced entry.
"We know what our 911 caller, the husband, told us but we have a lot of work to do to substantiate that claim or to otherwise identify the person responsible for that crime," Davis said back in February.
According to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, a 4-year-old girl was also in the home when police arrived. She was safe and was taken from the scene by officers.
Detectives began to conduct interviews and the police chief said at the time, the husband refused to speak with Fairfax County Police. Peres Magalhaes, however, was cooperative.
At the time, both the husband and au pair were characterized by police as "present and involved."
After months of reviewing forensic evidence and conducting multiple interviews, detectives say Peres Magalhaes shot Ryan — not the husband, who remains unnamed at this time.
Peres Magalhaes has been charged with second-degree murder and is being held at the adult detention center on no bond.
The investigation is ongoing as detectives are still conducting interviews and reviewing digital and forensic evidence to determine what led up to the fatal stabbing of Banfield.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact police at 703-246-7800 or online.
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2 dead after shooting, stabbing inside Fairfax County home: police
The Fairfax County Police Department is investigating a double homicide in a Herndon home Friday morning.