LOVE MURDER

In this CA, Jesse covers two major Virginia murder cases: first, the sentencing of the Banfield au pair, who received the maximum 10 years for her role in the staged home invasion that killed Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, and then a disturbing new case out of Norfolk, where Lina Maria Guerra was found dead in her apartment freezer after her Navy reservist husband allegedly fled to Hong Kong and fabricated a story about her imprisonment, triggering an international manhunt with potential extradition and national security complications.
Current Affairs is Love Murder’s shorter show about the cases of love gone fatally wrong that are in the news right now.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Christine_Banfield_and_Joseph_Ryan
https://abc7chicago.com/post/lina-guerra-case-us-navy-husband-david-varela-flew-hong-kong-missing-wife-was-found-kitchen-freezer-norfolk-virginia/18616404/
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/navy-reservist-accused-murdering-wife-believed-have-fled-hong-kong
https://www.wtkr.com/investigations/international-manhunt-underway-for-norfolk-man-accused-of-killing-wife-hiding-body-in-freezer
https://gtvnewshd.com/world/2026/02/18/virginia-woman-lina-guerra-found-dead-in-freezer-husband-david-varela-flees-to-hong-kong/
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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When a hardworking Chicago property owner discovers someone has stolen his identity and racked up nearly $400,000 in debt, his search for answers leads back to his troubled marriage and his wife’s dangerous new relationship. What begins as financial fraud escalates into anonymous threats, a mysterious package, and a devastating explosion that shatters a South Side neighborhood.
Sources:
1. “4 Life Sentences in Pipe-Bombing – Chicago Tribune.” Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sept. 2003, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/09/18/4-life-sentences-in-pipe-bombing/.
2. Bergmann, Joy. “Seduced - Chicago Reader.” Chicago Reader, 9 May 2002, https://chicagoreader.com/news/seduced/.
3. Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins. 2022.
4. “Marcus Vittorio Toney (1963-2000) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184724080/marcus_vittorio-toney. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
5. Sederstrom, Jill. “Sienky Lallemand, Lisa Toney Convicted in Mark Toney’s Death.” Oxygen, Oxygen, 15 Dec. 2025, https://www.oxygen.com/killer-relationship-with-faith-jenkins/crime-news/sienky-lallemand-lisa-toney-convicted-in-mark.
6. Tribune, Chicago. “Wife’s Expensive Taste Led to Fatal Decision, Jurors Told – Chicago Tribune.” Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2003, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/03/07/wifes-expensive-taste-led-to-fatal-decision-jurors-told/.
7. Wicked Attraction. 2008.
8. Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2003.
9. Chicago Tribune, 13 Sept. 2002.
10. Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2003.
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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When a 33-year-old military wife is found stabbed to death near a U.S. air base in the Philippines, investigators initially suspect political violence. But as rumors of an affair surface and a life insurance policy doubles, suspicion shifts closer to home. What ultimately cracks the case isn’t a confession or eyewitness — it’s a shredded floppy disk pieced back together with tape, marking one of the first major breakthroughs in digital forensics.
Sources:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0581464/
https://veritycreates.medium.com/the-murder-of-julie-snodgrass-defb1d1ec4bf
https://www.osi.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/2193802/osi-computer-crime-investigations-setting-the-pace-then-and-now/
https://www.osi.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2002303675/
https://www.stripes.com/news/2013-06-29/recounting-us-militarys-last-days-in-the-philippines-1840951.html
https://www.csoonline.com/article/512727/investigations-forensics-computer-forensics-investigations-body-of-evidence.html
https://militaryjusticeforall.com/2005/08/03/forensic-files-premiered-shear-luck-military-spouse-found-stabbed-to-death-near-clark-air-force-base-in-the-philippines-august-3-2005/
https://militaryjusticeforall.com/1991/02/26/joseph-snodgrass-us-air-force-hired-hitmen-to-murder-wife-julie-at-clark-air-force-base-in-the-philippines-for-the-400000-life-insurance-payout-1991/
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Find LOVE MURDER online:
Website: lovemurder.love
Instagram: @lovemurderpod
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Facebook: LoveMrdrPod
TikTok: @LoveMurderPod
Patreon: /LoveMurderPod
Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When a couple is attacked in their own home, the husband responds with lethal force, leaving two people dead. The crime is heinous but appears, based on evidence, to be straightforward at first. That is until a video emerges that speaks to a shocking motive and potential military conspiracy.
Sources:
1. “48 Hours: NCIS: The Double Cross - CBS News.” CBS News | Breaking News, Top Stories & Today’s Latest Headlines, https://www.facebook.com/48hours/, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-ncis-the-double-cross-the-murders-of-elise-makdessi-and-quincy-brown/. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
2. Dowling, Paul. Forensic Files. 1996.
3. “Elise Martin Crosby Makdessi (1965-1996) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39297857/elise_martin-makdessi. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
4. Mather, Mike. “You’ll Never Believe What a Convicted Killer Is Requesting from a Judge.” News 3 WTKR Norfolk, News 3 WTKR Norfolk, 1 Apr. 2014, https://www.wtkr.com/2014/04/01/youll-never-believe-what-a-convicted-killer-is-requesting-from-a-judge.
5. “POLICE SEEK MOTIVE FOR ATTACK ON COUPLE AT BEACH APARTMENT.” Virginia Tech Scholarly Communication University Libraries | Scholarly Communication Is a Dynamic Landscape, and We Are Continually Evolving. Many Scholarly Communications Activities Have Spun-off into Their Own Departments, Such as VT Publishing and Digital Imaging and Preservation Services, and Digital Library Development. Our Focus Is on Supporting the Creation and Dissemination of Scholarship., https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1996/vp960517/05170483.htm. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
6. “Quincy Bernard Brown (1958-1996) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/424850/quincy_bernard-brown. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
7. Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent. 2017.
8. The Kansas City Star, 18 May 1996.
9. Martinsville Bulletin, 25 July 2003.
10. The Roanoke Times, 25 July 2003.
11. Bureau of Diplomatic Security, https://2001-2009.state.gov/m/ds/rls/23000.htm. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
12. Daily Press, 17 Mar. 2006.
13. The Roanoke Times, 18 Mar. 2006.
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Find LOVE MURDER online:
Website: lovemurder.love
Instagram: @lovemurderpod
Twitter: @lovemurderpod
Facebook: LoveMrdrPod
TikTok: @LoveMurderPod
Patreon: /LoveMurderPod
Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Current Affairs update, the hosts revisit the shocking Catfish Conspiracy case with its final outcome now decided. After years of investigation and weeks of testimony, a Virginia jury has found Brendan Banfield guilty of murdering his wife Christine and an innocent stranger lured to their home through a fetish website. This episode walks through the verdict, the evidence that ultimately broke the case open, the role of the au pair turned key witness, and the chilling details revealed at trial that transformed a bizarre story into a devastating portrait of betrayal, manipulation, and calculated violence.
Current Affairs is Love Murder’s shorter show about the cases of love gone fatally wrong that are in the news right now.
Sources
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/02/02/brendan-banfield-verdict-catfish-fetlife/
https://apnews.com/article/virginia-catfish-fetlife-au-pair-murder-verdict-0c9c9f7e4b5f4c6b8f3a9c2c6e1a4d9a
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/brendan-banfield-guilty-wife-murder-au-pair-catfish-plot-rcna136245
https://www.wtop.com/fairfax-county/2026/02/brendan-banfield-convicted-wife-stranger-fetlife-scheme/
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/brendan-banfield-verdict-herndon-wife-au-pair-catfish-case
Find LOVE MURDER online:
Website: lovemurder.love
Instagram: @lovemurderpod
Twitter: @lovemurderpod
Facebook: LoveMrdrPod
TikTok: @LoveMurderPod
Patreon: /LoveMurderPod
Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.