Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and his wife, Cerina Fairfax, were found dead in their home in what police are reporting as a murder-suicide, the New York Times reports.
The Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said that Fairfax, 47, shot his wife and then himself.
Fairfax, a Democrat, served as the lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022, serving under former Governor Ralph Northam. He notably faced accusations of sexual assault by two women in 2019, dating back to 2000. The accusations prompted calls for his resignation; however, Fairfax denied the allegations and finished out his term.
Fairfax went on to run for governor in 2021, but lost the Democratic primary to former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe.
According to court documents filed in the Fairfax County Courthouse, Justin and Cerina Fairfax were in the middle of divorce proceedings. Cerina Fairfax filed for divorce in 2025, citing that the couple had separated in 2024. Justin Fairfax claimed his wife did not express her intent to permanently separate from him when she left.
The judge in the case, David Oblon, ruled in favor of Justin Fairfax, ordering that Cerina Fairfax “failed to plead her intent.”
Police Chief Davis acknowledged that the Fairfaxes were involved in an ongoing dispute as part of a “complicated or messy divorce.” He said police determined the nature of the murder-suicide through the use of cameras in the home, which were installed as a part of their divorce proceedings.
The couple’s two teenage children were inside the home at the time of the shootings, Davis said. Their son placed the 911 call.
“So tragic for the children to lose both parents, extra tragic for them to actually be in the home when it occurred,” Davis said. “Certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going in their favor.”
After serving as lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax returned to practice law, while Cerina Fairfax worked as a dentist at her own private practice.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for more updates.
