Embattled former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax killed his wife and then shot himself inside their home early Thursday in the throes of a “messy divorce,” cops said.
The 47-year-old Democrat repeatedly shot his dentist wife, Cerina Fairfax, in the basement of their Annandale home just after midnight before turning the gun on himself, according to police.
The couple’s two teenage children were inside the home at the time of the murder-suicide. Their son was the one who called 911 to report the shootings, cops said.
Embattled former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax killed his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before killing himself in their Virginia home, police say. Facebook / Justin Fairfax
“It is high-profile in nature, it’s tragic in nature. Certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had had a lot of things going in their favor,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said of the shocking violence.
“So tragic for the children to lose both parents, extra tragic for them to actually be in the home when it occurred. So yeah, there’s a lot going on.”
The couple, who had been married 20 years, were separated but still living together amid the ongoing divorce proceedings, cops confirmed.
Cerina first slapped the former federal prosecutor with the divorce papers in July last year, according to court records.
“This has been an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,” Davis said.
Fairfax County Police investigate the scene where Fairfax and his wife died Thursday morning in Annandale, Virginia, April 16, 2026. Kyle Mazza-CNP for New York Post
“I don’t think it’s a secret that there’s been a divorce proceedings that have been ongoing. From what I understand in this early stage, former Lieutenant Governor Fairfax was recently served some paperwork associated with an upcoming court proceeding that apparently led to this incident last night.”
The tragic saga unfolded just months after police responded to the family’s home back in January after Fairfax falsely accused his wife of assaulting him.
Investigators later determined he’d lied after reviewing footage from multiple cameras that the wife had set up inside the home.
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
It wasn’t immediately clear when, or why, Fairfax’s wife installed the cameras.
The reason for their split also wasn’t clear.
The apparent marital woes came several years after Fairfax was hit with a slew of sexual assault claims while he was in office in 2019.
Justin and Cerina’s children were inside the home at the time of the murder-suicide. Facebook / Justin Fairfax
At least two women publicly accused him of sexually assaulting them in 2000 and 2004.
He maintained the sexual encounters were both consensual and refused to resign.
Fairfax then launched a failed bid for governor in 2021.
He ultimately left his post in 2022 when he was ousted by Republican Winsome Earle-Sears.