Au pair pleads guilty to manslaughter in connection with double murder tied to affair

She could look up to 10 years successful prison.

A Virginia au brace pleaded blameworthy Tuesday to manslaughter in relationship to nan 2023 murders of her employer's woman and different man.

Juliana Peres Magalhaes' employer, Brendan Banfield, was charged pinch execution past period successful nan lawsuit -- a twelvemonth aft Magalhaes was arrested and charged.

Prosecutors said Magalhaes and Banfield began an extramarital matter successful August 2022, and by nan autumn of that year, Banfield expressed his desire to "be free of" his wife, Christine Banfield, according to nan plea statement obtained by ABC News.

Evidence photograph shows Brendan Banfield and his au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes.

Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney's Office

Throughout nan months that followed, Brendan Banfield would allegedly soma retired this plan, according to nan prosecution. However, Magalhaes did not want to proceed pinch astatine respective points, prosecutors said, and allegedly did not judge Banfield would travel done pinch it, according to nan plea agreement.

In nan leadup to nan double murder, Brendan Banfield allegedly created a floor plan connected nan intersexual fetish tract FetLife, wherever he recovered a man named Joe Ryan, nan plea statement details. He past allegedly had Magalhaes telephone Ryan, pretending to beryllium Christine Banfield, to corroborate some were consenting to prosecute successful activity astatine her location pinch nan usage of "restraints," according to prosecutors.

When Ryan arrived astatine nan location successful February 2023, Banfield allegedly changeable him successful nan caput and past stabbed his woman to death, according to nan prosecution agreement. Magalhaes past besides changeable Ryan, prosecutors said.

Magalhaes past allegedly called 911 and pretended Ryan had been an intruder, prosecutors said.

Brendan Banfield was indicted by a expansive assemblage for aggravated execution successful nan February 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan.

WJLA

Magalhaes initially faced second-degree execution charges successful relationship to Ryan's death. On Tuesday, Magalhaes pleaded blameworthy to a reduced complaint of manslaughter.

She could look up to 10 years successful prison.

Her sentencing is scheduled to return spot connected March 21 aft Banfield's February trial.

"Today's statement marks a important measurement guardant successful this case, and it is an important improvement successful our pursuit of justness for nan victims and their families," Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said successful a connection publication extracurricular nan courthouse. "Much of nan accusation that led to this statement cannot beryllium made nationalist astatine this clip owed to nan upcoming criminal proceedings against nan different suspect successful this matter."

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