IRS federal agent Brendan Banfield and his live-in au pair Juliana Perez Magalanis allegedly orchestrated a premeditated double murder: they created a fake BDSM profile called 'Anastasia 9' using Christine's photos to lure a stranger, Joseph Ryan, into the house under the guise of a consensual fantasy encounter, then killed both him and Christine. Blood spatter evidence, digital forensics linking the Fetlife account to Brendan's household devices, and Joe's 'funeral pose' body position all pointed away from a home invasion narrative and toward a staged execution, leading to murder charges against both Brendan and Juliana.
Key Moments
Ashley Flowers
“Each time that they were gone, the Fetife account would go dark. Even though Christine was home with her devices. You would think that this would be like the perfect time for her to be accessing that account.”
Explaining the pattern that proved Christine could not have been Anastasia 9 — the account only went active when Brendan and Juliana were present
“Brendan and Juliana did not interrupt a home invasion. They orchestrated one using a fake online persona to lure Joe to the house. Then they killed him and Christine and staged it so that Joe would take the fall.”
Ashley lays out investigators' core theory after piecing together the digital and physical evidence
“Would they make the arrest and go back into the Banfield's house with a search warrant? Christine has essentially been erased. Her photos are gone from the bedroom, replaced by pictures of Brendan and Juliana together. Her clothes are gone from the closet. And Julian's are hanging in their place.”
Describing what police found when they returned to the house after Juliana's arrest in October 2023
“When an officer lifted Joe's top hand to check for a pulse, a swath of his skin underneath and in between his fingers were clean, like there was no blood. And that only makes sense if Joe's hands were already folded when blood landed on them, not like he was in the middle of a frenzied knife attack.”
Describing the body cam frame-by-frame review that undermined the staged home invasion story
“Joe had small round drops on his chest and arms that look like they fell straight down when he was lying still. But Brendan's clothes tell a different tale. I mean, those stains are longer and messier. The way blood lands on someone who's moving while blood is flying through the air. Bottom line, the blood on Joe doesn't point to him as the stabber. The blood on Brendan does.”
Summarizing blood pattern analysis that implicated Brendan and exonerated Joe as the attacker
Crime Junkie is a weekly true crime podcast hosted by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat. Known for its clear, fast-paced storytelling, the show covers murders, disappearances, and unsolved cases with a focus on victim dignity and investigative detail. It consistently ranks among the most-downloaded podcasts in the US.
Takeaways
1
Fake BDSM profile used as murder weapon Anastasia 9 was a Fetlife account created using Christine's own bathing suit selfie, sent originally to her husband Brendan, to manufacture a credible sexual persona. The account screened out cautious men who insisted on meeting first, ultimately selecting Joe Ryan specifically because he agreed to skip the in-person vetting — making him the ideal patsy.
2
Body positioning revealed a staged crime scene Joe Ryan's body was found in what detectives called a 'funeral pose' — hands folded neatly on his chest, one leg wedged under the bed frame. Clean skin under his folded hands proved blood had fallen on him while he was already still, physically incompatible with someone mid-attack. Officers reviewing body cam footage frame by frame unlocked this detail.
3
Account activity pattern exposed the real operator Every time Brendan and Juliana left the house together on trips, the Anastasia 9 Fetlife account went completely silent — even though Christine remained home with all her devices. This correlation was a key piece of evidence that the account was being run from within the household by someone other than Christine.
4
Blood spatter distinguished the real stabber Forensic blood pattern analysis showed Joe had small, gravity-dropped circular stains consistent with lying still, while Brendan's clothes bore long, directional streaks consistent with movement during active bloodshed. This testing gave prosecutors physical confirmation of who wielded the knife.
5
Victim's professional background contradicted the planted motive Christine Banfield had worked as a sexual assault nurse examiner before becoming a pediatric ICU nurse — meaning investigators found it implausible she would fantasize about a simulated sexual assault scenario. Years of her device history showed zero infidelity, no adult content, and no prior interest in BDSM, directly undermining the Anastasia 9 persona built around her identity.
6
Juliana's own police interview supplied key murder evidence In her initial interview, Juliana described shooting Joe when he was already incapacitated — partially on his back, moaning, with the knife on the floor away from him. The medical examiner confirmed her second shot was the fatal one. Her own account of 'stopping a threat' became the evidentiary backbone of the murder charge against her.
7
Flight risk calculus forced premature arrest Prosecutors weren't ready to charge, but when Juliana applied for a new Brazilian passport to replace the confiscated one — and Brazil generally won't extradite its own citizens — investigators made the call to charge her with Joe's murder on the narrowest provable count before she could leave the country.