LOVE MURDER

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.

When a thrice-married father is found shot to death while seemingly changing his tire in a remote location, police find they have several suspects and a myriad of motives.
Sources:
1. Perger, Tracey. When Your Back Is Turned. 2022.
Dziemianowicz, Joe. “Robyn Davis And Best Friend Sissy Saltzman Kill Her Husband.” Oxygen, Oxygen, 20 Feb. 2021, https://www.oxygen.com/killer-motive/crime-news/robyn-davis-and-best-friend-sissy-saltzman-kill-her-husband.
“The Murder of Brian Davis.” CBS News | Breaking News, Top Stories & Today’s Latest Headlines, https://www.facebook.com/48hours/, 13 Apr. 2013, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-murder-of-brian-davis/7/.
Tygard, Judy. 48 Hours. 1988.
“William Brian ‘Brian’ Davis (1969-2009) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39011144/william_brian-davis. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

This Week’s Episode Brought To You By:
Shopify - $1 per month trial - http://shopify.com/lovemurder
BetterHelp - Convenient and affordable online therapy and counseling - https://betterhelp.com/lovemurder for 10% off your first month
Hers - Personalized, affordable plans for weight loss, hair, and anxiety - forhers.com/LOVEMURDER
IndaCloud - If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping with code lovemurder at https://inda.shop/lovemurder
Quince - Elevated essentials that feel effortless. Free shipping and 365-day returns at http://quince.com/lovemurder
First Day - Organic multivitamin gummies. Our listeners get up to 57% Off AND a Free Gift with code lovemurder at FirstDay.com

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.

We thought you might also like THE CONSULT!
We begin our analysis of one of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history—the Black Dahlia case. In this episode, we focus on the crime scene and autopsy of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short, whose body was discovered on January 15, 1947, in a vacant lot in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. She had been bisected at the waist and subjected to extensive post-mortem mutilation.
Please follow, rate and review The Consult wherever you get podcasts!
If you enjoyed this episode, consider supporting The Consult on Patreon for early and ad-free episodes. Visit Patreon.com/theconsultpod to become a subscriber.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the wake of World War I, a French conman lures desperate woman to their deaths with lonely hearts letters. Eventually known as the Bluebeard of Gambais, Henri Landru is known to have murdered at least 11 people.
Sources:
Seeking Hearts - Ryan Green
https://archive.org/details/landru0000land
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001744450
https://read.dukeupress.edu/french-historical-studies/article/47/2/319/387225/Dead-but-Not-BuriedSerial-Murderer-Henri-Desire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Désiré_Landru
https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2013/11/29/henri-desire-landru-the-french-bluebeard-found-guilty-of-eleven-murders-on-1-december-1921/

This Week’s Episode Brought To You By:
Shopify - $1 per month trial - http://shopify.com/lovemurder
Progressive Insurance - Discover better rates at https://www.progressive.com/ ****
Boxie - Odor Control Probiotic Cat Litter - 30% off with code LOVEMURDER at boxiecat.com/LOVEMURDER
Superpower - Head to Superpower.com and use code LOVEMURDER at checkout for $20 off your membership. Live up to your 100-Year potential. https://superpower.com/
BetterHelp - Convenient and affordable online therapy and counseling - https://betterhelp.com/lovemurder for 10% off your first month

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.

Three disturbing cases headline this week’s Love Murder Current Affairs: a Los Angeles firefighter accused of killing his wife after allegedly reading her diary, a tangled custody dispute in San Diego that prosecutors say ended with two adults shot dead while toddlers sat nearby, and a UK case where a woman stabbed her estranged husband after learning he had euthanized their dogs without telling her. From alleged crimes of rage to calculated violence, these stories trace how intimate relationships can unravel with devastating speed.
Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-21/woman-found-dead-in-north-hollywood-home-domestic-violence-suspected (Los Angeles Times)
https://abc7.com/post/mayra-jimenez-death-murder-charges-filed-glendale-firefighter-andrew-connection-wife-death-north-hollywood/18457612/ (ABC7 Los Angeles)
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/couple-arrested-for-double-murder-in-grant-hill-where-3-kids-were-found-nearby/3963988/ (NBC 7 San Diego)
https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2026/01/20/police-arrest-man-woman-grant-hill-shooting-deaths-another-couple/ (timesofsandiego.com)
https://people.com/wife-stabs-estranged-husband-euthanized-rescue-dogs-11891390 (people.com)
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/british-woman-stabs-estranged-husband-who-euthanised-her-rescue-dogs-10806231 (ndtv.com)
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.