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MURDERED: Christine Banfield & Joseph Ryan

When 37-year-old Christine Banfield and 39-year-old Joseph Ryan were found fatally injured inside a Virginia home in 2023, investigators were initially told that Ryan was a violent intruder and that Christine’s husband, Brendan Banfield, a federal agent, had tried to save her. But as investigators examined digital evidence, they uncovered a different possibility: that Ryan had been lured to the home through a fake online persona and that the scene had been staged to conceal a double homicide.
Duration
1h 15m
Broadcast on
29 Jun 2026
Audio Format
other

When 37-year-old Christine Banfield and 39-year-old Joseph Ryan were found fatally injured inside a Virginia home in 2023, investigators were initially told that Ryan was a violent intruder and that Christine’s husband, Brendan Banfield, a federal agent, had tried to save her. But as investigators examined digital evidence, they uncovered a different possibility: that Ryan had been lured to the home through a fake online persona and that the scene had been staged to conceal a double homicide.

What happened in the 15 minutes between two 911 calls? And what does the evidence reveal about the story investigators were first told?

 

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp is one of the world's leading online therapy services. Now, insurance options may be available nationwide, with average copays of just $23 per session for eligible members. Because isn't the only thing holding people back, most of us weren't taught stress management. Therapy gives you tools to keep stress from building. BetterHelp works with more than 125 health plans, making it easy to get started with low-cost sessions. Don't have eligible insurance? Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/crimejunky. Cost and coverage may vary. Discount cannot be combined with insurance. February 24, 2000, 23, 7, 47, 32. [INDISTINCT CHATTER] That few seconds of 911 call that came into Fairfax County might not sound like a lot. I mean, the call are hung up right where it cut off after that groan. So it tells a first-time listener almost nothing. But that call would turn out to be everything. Prosecutors say those few seconds are among the strongest pieces of evidence that a man named Joseph Ryan was murdered. And if that's true, then he was lured there and executed as part of the same plan that got Christine Banfield killed. You can be the judge. But the legal systems already made up its mind. And two people are now serving time related to one of these sickest, most twisted, premeditated plots I've ever heard of. A real reminder of Crime Junkie Life Rule #1. You never really know anyone ever. I'm Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. Let's dive into the case, Crime Junkies. [MUSIC] After that odd 9-1-1 call came in, the dispatcher in Fairfax County, Virginia tries calling the number back. But no one answers. And because it came from a cell phone, they can't pinpoint where to send police. So they're kind of just stuck. Until 15 minutes later, when the same phone number calls back. And this time, a frantic young woman is on the line. [BLANK_AUDIO] >> Any, any help there are, my, my friends, he just doesn't like now, he's putting a lot. I don't know what to do anymore. Okay, where are you located? What's your address? - I just, I don't know what to say. - Let's take a deep breath for me just so I know your address. - Okay.

Transcription truncated.

When 37-year-old Christine Banfield and 39-year-old Joseph Ryan were found fatally injured inside a Virginia home in 2023, investigators were initially told that Ryan was a violent intruder and that Christine’s husband, Brendan Banfield, a federal agent, had tried to save her. But as investigators examined digital evidence, they uncovered a different possibility: that Ryan had been lured to the home through a fake online persona and that the scene had been staged to conceal a double homicide.