Sophie Rosenthal
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sophierosenthal.bsky.social
Sophie Rosenthal
@sophierosenthal.bsky.social
digital journalist @ WUSA9
Brendan Banfield's defense pushed back on au pair Juliana Peres Magalhaes' narrative of murder conspiracy and painted her as desperate to get out of jail during cross examination Wednesday.
www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Au pair struggles to remember key details of fetish account during cross examination at Brendan Banfield murder trial
Brendan Banfield's mother paid for au pair Juliana Peres Magalhaes' attorney until she accepted her plea deal, the nanny said in court Wednesday.
www.wusa9.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Au pair Juliana Peres Magalhaes took the stand Tuesday afternoon and detailed the elaborate plot that she claims Brendan Banfield came up with to brutally murder his wife and a stranger.

More here:
www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Au pair details alleged plot, brutal murders on first day of Brendan Banfield trial
Juliana Peres Magalhaes suggested Brendan Banfield planned the entire murder plot on the stand, indicating she followed his instructions.
www.wusa9.com
January 14, 2026 at 12:55 AM
Prosecutors laid out the conspiracy they believe #BrendanBanfield played out in his home nearly three years ago in their opening statements Tuesday. He’s accused of killing his wife and a stranger with the family’s au pair.

www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Banfield appears to cry in court listening to 911 call after opening statements | Au Pair Affair
The former IRS agent is accused of murdering his wife, Christine Banfield, and a stranger, Joseph Ryan, back on Feb. 24, 2023.
www.wusa9.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Opening statements begin today in the trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent accused of killing his wife and a stranger with his family’s au pair. Catch up on the case here:
www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Au Pair Affair: Day 2 of the Brendan Banfield trial sees opening arguments
After nearly three years, the man accused of murdering his wife and a man with the family's live-in nanny is going to trial.
www.wusa9.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Reposted by Sophie Rosenthal
An extraordinarily embarrassing case for the line prosecutors forced to pursue it, who spent two weeks getting yelled at from the bench over missing/incomplete evidence and evasive witnesses -- including at least one whose testimony was flatly contradicted by video evidence.
NOW: Three grand juries declined to indict Sidney Reid, and today a petit jury came to the same conclusion in less than 2 hours -- finding her NOT GUILTY of assaulting an FBI agent during an ICE arrest. (via @sophrosenthal) www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Woman found not guilty of assaulting FBI agent during ICE arrest outside DC Jail
Sidney Lori Reid was acquitted after a three-day trial plagued with evidence issues.
www.wusa9.com
October 16, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Reposted by Sophie Rosenthal
NOW: Three grand juries declined to indict Sidney Reid, and today a petit jury came to the same conclusion in less than 2 hours -- finding her NOT GUILTY of assaulting an FBI agent during an ICE arrest. (via @sophrosenthal) www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Woman found not guilty of assaulting FBI agent during ICE arrest outside DC Jail
Sidney Lori Reid was acquitted after a three-day trial plagued with evidence issues.
www.wusa9.com
October 16, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Sophie Rosenthal
BREAKING: Federal prosecutors in D.C. have filed two criminal counts against Jan Carey, the NC veteran arrested for burning a flag in protest outside the White House this week. w/ @sophrosenthal www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Prosecutors file criminal charges against veteran who burned flag outside White House
Jan Carey, 54, of North Carolina, said he was protesting an executive order from President Donald Trump attempting to ban flag burning
www.wusa9.com
August 29, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by Sophie Rosenthal
MORE: Judge Howell calls the Trump admnistration's attempted takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace a "gross usurpation of power.

In an order today, she says that takeover is now "null and void." (via my colleague @sophierosenthal.bsky.social) www.wusa9.com/article/news...
'Null and void' | Federal judge reverses Trump administration's US Institute of Peace takeover
After two hearings that sided with the Trump administration, the US Institute of Peace was able to prove it was illegally taken over in federal court.
www.wusa9.com
May 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM