Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax has been found dead alongside his wife in what authorities believe to be a domestic-related incident.
Police in Fairfax County said the 47-year-old and his wife, Cerina, were discovered at their home in Annandale with fatal gunshot injuries. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, preliminary findings and evidence from inside the property indicate the deaths followed a murder-suicide.
Officers said Cerina Fairfax was found in the basement, while Justin Fairfax was located in a bedroom. Investigators added that footage from cameras inside the home supported their understanding of the sequence of events.
Authorities also confirmed that the couple’s children were present in the house at the time, with one of them reportedly contacting emergency services. Police Chief Kevin Davis described the situation as stemming from “an ongoing domestic dispute” tied to what he called a “complicated or messy divorce.”
Fairfax served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under Governor Ralph Northam. His tenure was marked by controversy following allegations of sexual assault made by two women in 2019, which he denied, despite calls for his resignation.
In 2021, Fairfax ran for governor but lost the Democratic nomination to Terry McAuliffe. Investigations into the incident are ongoing, with authorities continuing to review evidence and circumstances surrounding the deaths.
