Justin Fairfax and his wife, , were found dead at their home in Annandale, Virginia, in what authorities said was a murder-suicide. Fairfax County Police responded after the couple’s teenage son called 911 shortly after midnight on Thursday. Investigators said Fairfax fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself.
Why Justin Fairfax murdered his wife
Police Chief Kevin Davis said the couple had been in the midst of a divorce and that Fairfax had recently been served legal paperwork outlining an upcoming court appearance.
“That may have been a spark,” Davis said. “Detectives will figure out if that led to this tragedy here.”
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Officials stressed that the investigation is ongoing as they work to determine the precise circumstances leading up to the incident.
“It’s very sad for this community,” the police chief added. “A lot of people who know the Fairfax family, everybody’s shocked. We’re shocked.”
Ghazala Hashmi reacts
Virginia’s current lieutenant governor, Ghazala Hashmi, also reacted to the news.
“My thoughts are with their children, loved ones, and numerous friends,” Hashmi said in a statement. “Along with so many in the Commonwealth, I am filled with sorrow; I await further insights from our law enforcement officials.”
What Justin Fairfax said about his wife Cerina
We went through Fairfax’s to find several posts about his wife. “Happy 11th Wedding Anniversary to the love of my life, Dr. Cerina W. Fairfax, DDS! God has brought us a mighty long way, and we are deeply grateful and tremendously blessed. We got married on June 17, 2006 in #Arlington, VA outdoors at the Netherlands Carillon Gardens. We held the reception at Top of the Town. It was a blazing hot, but truly perfect day!” he said in a 2017 Facebook post.
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“Happy Birthday to my brilliant and beautiful bride, Dr. Cerina W. Fairfax, DDS!! The 2015 VCU Dental School Alumna of the Decade is a phenomenal dentist (Dr. Fairfax & Associates Family Dentistry – drfairfax.com). However, she is an even more amazing mother, wife, daughter, aunt, sister, and friend. Thank you for who you are and all that you do. May God continue to bless you and our journey together. We love you!” he posted in 2016.
Sexual assault allegations
Fairfax had once been considered a rising figure in the Democratic Party. In 2019, he appeared poised to ascend to the governorship as then-Governor Ralph Northam faced intense backlash over a racist yearbook photo.
However, Fairfax’s political trajectory shifted dramatically after two women publicly accused him of sexual assault stemming from separate incidents years earlier.
Vanessa Tyson alleged that Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, while Meredith Watson accused him of raping her in 2000 when they were both students at Duke University.
Fairfax denied all allegations, maintaining that the encounters were consensual and resisting calls to resign.
