Feb. 3, 2026

"VERDICT IS IN: AU PAIR AFFAIR JURY DECIDES FATE OF HUSBAND OF DOUBLE MURDER & ALEXANDER BROTHERS' VICTIMS TESTIFY TO LUXURY NIGHTMARES"

Show Notes
Transcript

Reid Carter delivers the verdict in Virginia's au pair affair murder trial — Brendan Banfield's fate decided after the jury rejected his claim that wife Christine invited a stranger for violent sex and he shot the man in self-defense. Prosecutors argued blood evidence proved Banfield staged the crime scene, his boss destroyed his alibi, and his affair with au pair Juliana Magalhães was motive for murder. The verdict is in. Plus: Alexander brothers sex trafficking trial explodes as witnesses testify to drugged drinks, Hamptons shower rape, and video allegedly showing Oren raping a sixteen-year-old. Family scolded by marshal for courtroom antics.

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Caalarogus, Shark Media. Good morning, I'm read Carter. Tuesday, February third,

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twenty twenty six. The verdict is in Brendan Banfield, former

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IRS special agent, accused of masterminding the murder of his

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wife Christine and a stranger named Joseph Ryan, Accused of

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plotting with his family's au pair his lover, Juliana Paris

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magilheyes to create a fake fetish website profile, lure a

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man to the house, kill them both, and stage the

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whole thing as self defense. Ten days of testimony, blood evidence,

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digital forensics. A defendant who took the stand and called

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the allegations absolutely crazy, said his wife had secret b

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DSM affairs, said she invited Ryan herself, said he shot

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Ryan to protect her. Prosecutors called his own boss to

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the stand. Boss said Banfield lied about why he left

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the house that morning. No work meeting existed. The jury

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got the case Friday afternoon, deliberated through the weekend, came

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back yesterday, and they've reached a verdict. We'll get to

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that verdict later in the show, but first let me

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walk you through how we got here. Because this trial

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had everything affairs, fetish, websites, catfishing, staged crime scenes, a

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cooperating co conspirator, and a defendant who gambled his freedom

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on his own testimony. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, the Alexander Brothers

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trial continues. Tal Orrin and Alon Alexander luxury real estate

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brokers to the rich and famous, accused of drugging and

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raping dozens of women over more than a decade. First

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week of testimony was devastating. Women testified under pseudonyms about

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being drugged at nightclubs, raped in Hampton's mansions, and taunted afterward.

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Video evidence allegedly shows one brother raping an unconscious sixteen

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year old. Family was so disruptive in court that a

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marshall scolded them, I'm reed, Carter today the o Pair

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affair verdict and the Alexander Brothers luxury nightmare. This is

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celebrity trials. Let's get into the Brendan Banfield case. If

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you're just joining us, here's what you need to know.

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And if you've been following along, stay with me because

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that verdict is coming. February twenty fourth, twenty twenty three, Herndon, Virginia,

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upscale suburb outside Washington, DC. Brendan Banfield, forty years old,

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is a special agent with the IRS. His wife, Christine

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thirty seven, is a Treasury Department employee. They have a

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four year old daughter named Valerie, and living in their

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home is Juliana Peis magalais a twenty two year old

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Brazilian au pair hired to help with childcare. That morning,

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two people die inside the Banfield home. Christine Banfield stabbed

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multiple times in the neck. Joseph Ryan thirty nine, shot twice,

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once in the head, once in the chest. Ryan was

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a stranger, met Christine, or so he thought, through fet Life,

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a sexual fetish website, came to the house expecting to

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fulfill a consensual but violent sex fantasy involving bondage and

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knife play. He brought zip ties, a knife, chains, and lube.

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A Walmart receipt for loub was found in his wallet.

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The original story, Banfield told police he came home, heard screaming,

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ran upstairs, found Ryan attacking his wife with a knife.

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Shot Ryan in self defense. His wife died from her injuries. Tragic, terrible,

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but not criminal. Except prosecutors say the whole thing was

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a setup. Their theory Brendan Banfield was having an affair

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with the EAU pair Juliana Maglais. He wanted out of

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his marriage, but didn't want a divorce, didn't want to

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split assets, didn't want to share custody of his daughter,

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so he and Juliana concocted a scheme. Create a fake

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profile on fet life, posing as Christine using the name

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Anastasia nine, lure a stranger to the house to carry

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out a rape fantasy. Then Brendan kills the stranger, stabs

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his wife, and frames the dead man for her murder.

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The morning of the killings, the plan went into motion.

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Maggalhis pretended to take the daughter to the zoo, Brendan

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left for a nearby McDonald's. Both out of the house,

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Christine home alone. Ryan arrives at seven thirty a m.

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Expecting to meet Anastasia. Magalais calls Banfield at seven thirty

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seven and seven thirty eight. He rushes home and two

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people end up dead. The prosecution star witness Juliana ma

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Heis herself arrested in October twenty twenty three for Ryan's murder,

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spent months in jail, eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter in

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exchange for testifying against Banfield. Detailed the entire alleged conspiracy

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on the stand. During the first two days of trial,

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said Banfield told her he wanted to get rid of

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his wife. Said she helped him create the fake fet

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life account using Christine's laptop. Said she watched him stab

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Christine and stage the scene. But last week, Brendan Banfield

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got his chance to tell his side. Day eight, Tuesday,

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January twenty eighth, Defense attorney John Carroll called digital forensics

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analyst Harry Lidsky his job pick apart the prosecution's catfishing theory.

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Lidsky testified there were no significant gaps in Christine's device

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usage that would indicate someone else took control of her laptop.

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He pointed to a January twenty twenty three selfie Christine

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took in a bathing suit and shared with her husband

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on Facebook. That same photo was later downloaded, edited and

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posted to the end Nastasia profile on fetlife, which was

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created on the same day. Lidsky's point the timeline suggests

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Christine herself may have created the account. He also testified

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about activity on February twentieth, twenty twenty three, four days

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before the killings. Device records show Brendan and Magglehies were

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at a gym between nine pm and eleven pm. Christine's

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laptop logged into her work website at approximately eleven oh

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seven pm. Twenty four seconds later, there was activity on fetlife.

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We've gone from activity unrelated to the scheme to activity

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central to the scheme in a twenty four second window,

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Lidsky told the jury, but on cross examination, Prosecutor Sands

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punched holes in that analysis. She noted that while Banfield's

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devices were out of the house, Maggalhies was home and

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could have accessed the fetlife account. She pointed out there

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was no fetlife activity when both Banfield and maggl Hayes

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were away on weekend trips together, and she highlighted two

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distinct themes of activity happening simultaneously on Christine's devices fet

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life on the laptop while the phone showed shopping, vacation, research,

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and other normal activity, as if two different people were

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using two different devices at the same time. Then came

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day nine, Wednesday, January twenty ninth, the moment everyone had

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been waiting for. Brendan Banfield took the stand. He walked

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the jury through his version of events said he left

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home early that morning for an important work meeting, left

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Juliana with his daughter while Christine was still in the house.

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Said he was at a McDonald's when Juliana called frantic.

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He rushed home, heard sounds from upstairs. Sexual at first,

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then distressed, grabbed his service weapon and went up. What

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he found Joseph Ryan on top of his naked wife, Christine,

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on all fours, Ryan kneeling behind her with a knife,

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partially obscured by her hair. Christine warned him he has

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a knife. Ryan allegedly said, she's mine. She gave herself

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to me. Banfield testified he announced himself. As police told

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Ryan to drop the knife. Ryan made a forceful stab

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at Christine, causing her to rotate and fall. Banfield fired

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shot Ryan in the head. Then came the most emotionally

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manipulative testimony of the entire trial. Banfield claimed that as

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his wife lay dying on the floor, bleeding from seven

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stab wounds to her neck, she spoke to him, moved

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his hands over hers, told him she loved him, apologized,

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make it make sense. Seven stab wounds to the neck.

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The medical examiner testified she died within seconds to minutes

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but Banfield expects the jury to believe she was having

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a coherent conversation. Apologizing on cross examination, prosecutor Jenna Sands

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destroyed him. She noted Banfield had never shared this version

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of events with law enforcement, not in any interview, not

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at any hearing until the trial. She pressed him on

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his affairs at least two that Christine knew about one

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with a woman he met on a website searching for

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sugar babies. He disputed it was a fetish site, calling

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it an arranged relationship. She asked about the love letters

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he wrote to Magalhain's from jail. He conceded he fell

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in love with the au pair, but only after Christine's death.

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It's easier to fall in love with someone that saved you,

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he said, referring to Magalaye's shooting Ryan. They discussed baby names.

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After Christine died, Magalaanes moved her clothes into the master bedroom.

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Her photos replaced Christine's on the nightstand. A victim services

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director testified she overheard their four year old daughter ask Magalanes,

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can I call you mommy now? Magalaane said yes. The

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girl asked, are you going to marry my father? Magalanes said,

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I wish Sans also ridiculed Banfield's claim that Christine could

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speak after suffering seven stab wounds to the neck, and

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noted he only reacted to defend his wife after six

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stab wounds. Day ten, Thursday, January thirtieth, the prosecution dropped

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a hammer. During rebuttal, they called Thomas Patrick Smith, Banfield's

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IRS supervisor. Remember. Banfield testified he left home early for

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an important meeting that could help him get a promotion.

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That's why he wasn't home when Ryan arrived. That's his alibi.

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Smith took the stand and said flatly, no such meeting

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was scheduled. Every manager who would have attended was out

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of state, one was out of the country. Banfield lied

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about why he left the house. Why would an innocent

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man lie about that? The defense also called audio forensics

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expert Nick Barrero, who tried to argue that the groaning

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sound on the nine to one one call wasn't Joseph Ryan,

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it was the family dog, Lily, But the prosecution's rebuttal witness,

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a detectivetive, testified the sound was clearly human. Friday, January thirty,

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first closing arguments, Prosecutor Jenna Sans reminded the jury of

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the blood evidence. Their expert testified that Christine's blood was

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placed onto Ryan's body, dripped, smeared, wiped to make it

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look like he'd attacked her. Blood flow on Ryan's face

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traveled in different directions, meaning his head was moved while

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blood was still wet. Blood on his hands flowed toward

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his elbow, not his wrist, arms up not down. His

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body had been manipulated. After death, Brendan stabbed Christine, let

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her bleed out on the floor, and then dripped, smeared,

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and wiped her blood on Joseph Ryan's body to make

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it look like he had attacked Christine. Sans told the jury.

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She pointed to the motive. He was in love with Juliana.

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He was afraid of losing her. He needed to get

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rid of his wife so that they could be together,

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so that they could marry, so that they could have

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those babies that he was picking out names for. There

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was no evidence Christine had previous affairs. Sans noted no

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digital history of online dating or infidelity, while Banfield was

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a serial cheater. Defense attorney John Carroll took ninety minutes

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told the jury Juliana's testimony was bought and paid for.

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She was facing murder charges, spent months in jail, grew

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increasingly desperate, wrote letters vowing to stand by Banfield, then

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caved and told prosecutors what they wanted to hear. Carol

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also noted that Banfield's DNA was not found on the

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knife that killed Christine. Only Christine's and Ryan's DNA were

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on the blade. Juliana made it up. Carol told the

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jury she told the Commonwealth what they wanted to hear,

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and without question, they just took it as their story.

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The jury got the case Friday around midday. Twelve jurors,

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seven women, five men. They deliberated for about three hours

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and fourteen minutes Friday afternoon, went home for the weekend

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without a verdict. Deliberations resumed Monday morning, and that's when

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the verdict came. We'll be right back with the verdict.

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Did the jury believe Brendan Banfield's self defense story or

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did the blood evidence, the lies, and the affair seal

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his fate? The answer right after this. Welcome back to

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celebrity trials. I'm Red Carter. Monday afternoon, Fairfax County Circuit

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Court Judge Penny Askarate, presiding the jury, sent word they've

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reached a verdict. Brendan Banfield stood, gray suit, navy blue tie, expressionless.

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The clerk read the charges. Count one aggravated murder of

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Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan two or more persons killed

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in the same transaction. Guilty. Count two aggravated murder two

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or more persons killed within a three year period, guilty.

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Count three, use of a firearm in the commission of murder, guilty,

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Count four Child endangerment guilty. Guilty on all counts. Banfield

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showed nothing, no reaction, no emotion, stonefaced, same cold demeanor

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he displayed throughout the trial. Prosecutor Jenna sans Noticed told

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reporters afterward he showed absolutely no human emotion that we'd

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expect to see of someone in that position. But then again,

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that was the whole point of the prosecution's case. This

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isn't a man who acts like a grieving husband. This

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is a man who plotted to murder his wife so

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he could be with his o pair. Fairfax County Commonwealth's

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Attorney Steve Descano didn't mince words at the press conference.

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It's monstrous, I mean that's really what it is. It's monstrous.

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I've been doing this job for a while, and I

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can tell you that this defendant stood out to me

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highest above all the other murder cases that we've done

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in my six years here. Sand said she was surprised

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Banfield took the stand. I think I would have counseled

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against him taking the stand, but mister Carroll didn't have

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a lot to work with. She added, I think that

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he was obviously hoping for a life with Juliana, and

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he didn't see a way to accomplish that without executing

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his wife. Descano's final words were aimed directly at Banfield.

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My hope is that he realizes he didn't get away

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with it. You can see a lot of things that

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he set up trying to get away with it, thinking

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that he was going to beat the system, trying to

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outsmart everybody. I hope he thinks about his wife and

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Joe and about what a heinous thing he did, because

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that's something he is rightfully going to have to live

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with for the rest of his life. Life in prison

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without parole mandatory sentence for aggravated murder in Virginia. Sentencing

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schedule ruled for May eighth before Judge askarat As for

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Juliana Perez magalyayes her plea deal calls for manslaughter. She

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could receive time served, which would mean she walks free,

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but she still faces up to ten years in prison.

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Her sentencing hasn't been scheduled yet, and she's reportedly been

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in talks with television producers about a documentary. Netflix was

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mentioned she was holding out for more money. The defense

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has the right to appeal. Whether John Carroll files one

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remains to be seen. But the blood evidence was devastating,

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the work meeting lie was devastating, and Banfield's own cold,

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emotionless demeanor on the stand may have been the final nail.

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Smart enough to plan a murder, too stupid to fake

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grief convincingly. Christine Banfield was thirty seven years old, Treasury

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Department employee, mother of a four year old daughter named Valerie.

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She should be raising that little girl, taking her to school,

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watching her grow, building a life. Instead, her husband conspired

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with the woman he was sleeping with to stab her

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to death in her own bedroom while their daughter played

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in the basement. Joseph Ryan was thirty nine years old,

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lured to that house under false pretenses, thought he was

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meeting a woman for consensual sex play. Instead, he walked

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into a kill zone, shot twice, his body, staged and

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manipulated to frame him for a murder he didn't commit.

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Two lives destroyed by one man's arrogance. Rest in peace, Christine,

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Rest in peace, Joseph. Justice took almost three years, but

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it came. Someone has to say your names. Coming up

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the Alexander Brothers sex trafficking trial. Luxury real estate brokers

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accused of drugging and raping dozens of women. Video evidence

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allegedly shows one brother assaulting an unconscious sixteen year old,

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and the family's courtroom behavior was so inappropriate a marshal

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told them to shut it down. Welcome back to celebrity trials.

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I'm reed, Carter, Manhattan Federal Court, United States versus Tal

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Alexander or an Alexander and a law in Alexander. Three Brothers.

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Luxury real estate brokers sold properties worth hundreds of millions

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to celebrities and billionaires. Lived the lifestyle themselves Hampton's mansions,

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private jets, nightclub VIP rooms, penthouse apartments overlooking Central Park.

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But prosecutors say behind the glittering facade. These brothers were predators,

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drugged women, raped them, sometimes together, over more than a decade.

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The federal indictment charges them with sex trafficking by fraud,

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force or coercion, conspiracy, sexual exploitation of a miner. If convicted,

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each brother faces fifteen years to life in prison. They've

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been held without bail since their arrest in December twenty

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twenty four yoor in Miami. The trial began last week

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with opening statements. Prosecutor Madison Smiser told the jury these

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brothers masqueraded as party boys when really they were predators.

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Said they used whatever means necessary luxury accommodations, flights, drugs, alcohol,

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sometimes brute force to lure women into situations where they

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could be raped, woman after woman, rape after rape, Smyser said.

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Defense attorney Tenny Garagos urged the jury to reject prosecutor's

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monstrous story. Said the brothers were successful, ambitious, sometimes arrogant,

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that they pursued women aggressively in hook up culture, but

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that immoral behavior isn't criminal behavior, said some of the

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accusers were hoping to enrich themselves with civil lawsuits. Then

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came the testimony. First witness, a woman, testifying under the

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pseudonym Katie Moore, twenty years old in twenty twelve, college

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student anthropology major. She told the jury about the night

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she attended an NBA Finals watch party at actor zac

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Efron's Manhattan apartment. Let me be clear, zac Efron is

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not accused of any wrongdoing. This was just the setting

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where Moore first met two of the Alexander brothers. After

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the game, Moore went to an after party at a

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Manhattan nightclub with the brothers group. Someone handed her a

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drink she doesn't know who, and then everything went dark.

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More testified the sudden feeling was different from being drunk,

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no gradual fade out. Her body started swaying. She lost control.

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Next thing she remembers waking up naked on a bed

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with Ailon Alexander, also naked, standing over her. I had

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no idea what happened. More testified, I tried to get

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out of the bed a few times, but a lawn

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kept pushing me back down. She told him, I don't

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want to have sex with you. His response, ha ha,

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you already did. Then he laughed in her face and

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raped her again again. During the rape tal, Alexander walked

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into the room, briefly made eye contact with his brother,

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said something more couldn't hear, then walked out, made no

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attempt to stop the attack. Seemed super nonchalant. More testified

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she escaped after Allen fell asleep. Second witness, a woman

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testifying under the pseudonym Maya Miller, twenty three years old

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in twenty fourteen, met Tal Alexander on Instagram. He invited

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her in a friend for a Hampton's weekend, flew them

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to New York, chartered a seaplane to sag Harbor, thirteen

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million dollar waterfront mansion, private chef boat trips, the works.

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The tone shifted. On the third night, Tal poured shots

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handed her friend whine. Miller watched her friend start slurring stumbling.

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Another woman at the house was lying incapacitated on a

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pool side lounger. When Miller tried to check on her,

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talc called out, don't touch her, she's fine. Miller felt

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something was wrong, took her friend to their bedroom, barricaded

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the door with luggage no lock. Tal kept entering throughout

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the night. I thought I invited fun girls. At one point,

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she woke to find two men standing at the foot

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of her bed, whispering one was Tal. Next morning, Miller

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decided to leave packing. Tal found her, followed her into

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the bathroom, cornered her, forced her into the shower. He

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proceeded to rape me in the shower. Miller testified, through tears,

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said he was aroused by her crying. She tried to

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scream but could only whisper. Afterward, Tal looked at her

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and said, you wanted that. It's okay, I care about you.

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You wanted that. On cross examination, defense highlighted friendly messages.

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Miller sent Tal after the alleged assault, a smiling emoji

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saying she was having a fucking amazing time in New York.

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Miller said she was scared of his power and influence.

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Defense also showed an e mail Tal sent his brother

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Alon before the week end, forwarding Miller's flight info and

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photos subject line see below. These cheap hookers coming to

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the Hamptons this weekend. That's what he thought of them. Thursday,

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the trial got even darker. Prosecutors showed the jury of

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video file name Miami Passover dot m O V April

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two thousand nine, digital film camera. The contents weren't shown

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to the public, only the jury, but prosecutors had already

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described what it allegedly shows or In Alexander raping a

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sixteen year old girl while she was completely incapacitated. Some

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one speaks Hebrew on the recording, translation, yes, now, I

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captured it all. I captured a recording. The silence in

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the court room was heavy as the video played. That girl,

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referred to as Amelia in court documents, is now an

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adult expected to testify this week. But perhaps the most

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disturbing element of last week wasn't the testimony. It was

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the behavior of the defendants and their family. Wednesday morning,

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the three brothers entered court beaming, waving to friends and family.

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Their parents were there. Ailon's wife, fashion model Shanie Zigron,

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flashed a heart symbol mouthed I love you. This was

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the day after More testified that Aylon drugged and raped her,

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laughed in her face as she begged him to stop.

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Zigron was photographed smiling as she left court moments after

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Miller testified about being violently raped in a shower while

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she wept. The mother, Orley Alexander, displayed printed family photos

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showing children shared them with relatives. The courtroom resembled a

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family reunion during a fifteen minute delay. Thursday morning, a

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court martial had enough stern warning. No talking or whispering

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during proceedings, no communicating with defendants, no reacting to testimony,

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no staring at witnesses, respect the institution and what it

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stands for. One supporter was ejected that day. Make it

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make sense. Three men accused of drugging and raping dozens

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of women over more than a decade. Video allegedly showing

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one of them raping an unconscious sixteen year old, and

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their family treats the courtroom like a cocktail party. The

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arrogance is breathtaking. Trial continues this week, more victims expected

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to testify. The defense argues hookup culture not crime. The

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prosecution says luxury was the weapon and silence was the shield.

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If convicted, each brother faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen

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years to life. They've pleaded not guilty. Some people think

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money makes them untouchable. The Alexander brothers built empires selling

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real estate to the powerful. Thought they could take whatever

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they wanted from whoever they wanted, and nobody would ever

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say a word. Forty four women said a word, your

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tax dollars at work. That's celebrity trials for Tuesday, February third,

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twenty twenty six, Brendan Banfield guilty on all counts, two

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counts aggravated murder, firearm charge, child endangerment, life without parole.

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The Opera Fair murder trial ends with the jury rejecting

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his self defense story. Sentencing May eighth. Alexander Brothers sex

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trafficking trial continues in Manhattan. First week brought devastating testimony

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about drugged drinks, Hampton's rapes, and video evidence of an

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assault on a sixteen year old. Family scolded for inappropriate

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courtroom behavior. More victims expected this week. I'm read Carter

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tomorrow updates on the Alexander trial and whatever else breaks.

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This is celebrity trials. M