Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis Says Justin Fairfax Shot His Wife Before Taking His Own Life
Virginia’s former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and his wife, Cerina Fairfax, were found dead inside their Annandale home in what police said was a murder-suicide.
According to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, investigators determined that Fairfax fatally shot his wife before taking his own life. The couple’s teenage son called 911 shortly after midnight Thursday, prompting officers to respond to the home.
Both of the couple’s teenage children were inside the house at the time of the shooting.
Divorce and Legal Dispute Under Investigation
Police said the Fairfaxes had been going through a divorce, which authorities described as “complicated.” Court records show Cerina Fairfax filed for divorce in 2025 after the couple separated the year before.
Fairfax had recently been served with court paperwork outlining his next required appearance.
“That may have been a spark,” Davis said. “Detectives will figure out if that led to this tragedy here.”
Authorities also said cameras inside the home, installed during the divorce proceedings, helped investigators determine what happened.
“So tragic for the children to lose both parents, extra tragic for them to actually be in the home when it occurred,” Davis said.
From Rising Political Star to Public Controversy
Fairfax, a Democrat, served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under former Gov. Ralph Northam. At one point in 2019, he appeared positioned to take over as governor while Northam faced backlash over a racist yearbook photo.
But Fairfax’s political future shifted when two women publicly accused him of sexual assault in incidents they said occurred years earlier.
Vanessa Tyson said Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Days later, Meredith Watson accused him of raping her in 2000 while they were students at Duke University.
Fairfax denied both allegations, saying the encounters were consensual, and declined calls to resign.
He later ran for governor in 2021 but lost the Democratic primary to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
Community Reaction and Ongoing Investigation
After leaving office, Fairfax returned to practicing law. Cerina Fairfax operated a private dental practice.
“It’s very sad for this community,” Davis said. “A lot of people who know the Fairfax family, everybody’s shocked. We’re shocked.”
Police said the investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
