Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax identified as perpetrator of shocking murder-suicide
By Easton Martin | April 16, 2026
Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, were found dead in their home early Thursday in what Fairfax County Police are describing as a murder-suicide.
Police responded to the family’s residence in Annandale shortly after midnight following a 911 call from the couple’s teenage son. Upon arrival, officers discovered both individuals deceased. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis reported that investigators believe Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife in the basement before taking his own life in an upstairs bedroom.
Chief Davis stated that the couple was in the process of a divorce and that Fairfax had recently been served with court documents related to the proceedings. “That may have been a spark,” Davis said during a press briefing. “Detectives will figure out if that led to this tragedy.”
Justin Fairfax, 47, served as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022. He was once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, but his political career was significantly impacted by sexual assault allegations that emerged in 2019. Fairfax denied the accusations and remained in office until the end of his term. He later ran for governor in 2021 but failed to secure the nomination.
Dr. Cerina Fairfax, 49, was a prominent dentist and business owner in Northern Virginia. The couple’s two children were in the home at the time of the shooting but were not physically harmed, according to police.
The incident has drawn expressions of shock from across the Commonwealth. In a joint statement, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine said, “We are keeping Cerina and Justin Fairfax’s family, especially their two children, in our prayers as we all process this shocking and horrifying news.”
