Justin Fairfax killed his estranged wife and himself 2 weeks before a
court deadline to move out
[April 17, 2026]
By MICHAEL BIESECKER and NATHAN ELLGREN
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) — Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a rising
star in the Democratic Party until sexual assault allegations ruined his
political fortunes, killed his estranged wife and then himself weeks
before a judge's deadline to move out of their family home, according to
police and court records.
Officers called to the home in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Annandale
early Thursday found the bodies of Fairfax, 47, and his wife, Dr. Cerina
Fairfax, 49, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said.
Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, a successful dentist, in the
basement before going to an upstairs bedroom and killing himself, Davis
said. Their son called 911.
One of Justin Fairfax's longtime friends told The Associated Press that
he became increasingly despondent after his wife filed for divorce last
year. The judge overseeing the divorce recently wrote that his
“isolation, drinking, and a lack of participation in family life are
manifestations of what seems to be a sense of fatalism and
hopelessness.”
___
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or
someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in
the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online
chat at 988lifeline.org
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A turn in fortunes
Less than a decade ago, Justin Fairfax's political career was taking
off. He won the race for lieutenant governor in 2017 and seemed poised
to become Virginia’s second Black governor two years later when
Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam faced widespread calls to resign over a
racist photo in his medical school yearbook. Fairfax would have become
governor if Northam had stepped down.
But two women came forward accusing Fairfax of sexually assaulting them
years earlier.
Fairfax said the encounters, which occurred before he was married, were
consensual and refused calls to resign. He tried to run for governor in
2021, but was largely shunned by Virginia Democrats and defeated in the
Democratic primary.
A career and marriage fall apart
Cerina Fairfax said in court filings that she and her husband separated
nearly two years ago. But they were still living in the same house with
their two teenage children, who were both home when the deaths occurred,
Davis said.
In a March 30 order, the judge told Justin Fairfax to move out by the
end of April, writing “it is clear tensions in the Fairfax home have
been extremely high for an extended period of time.”
The judge said in court documents that Justin Fairfax’s “mental and
emotional health” suffered after two setbacks: his unsuccessful 2013
campaign for the Democratic nomination for attorney general and the 2019
sexual assault scandal. After both, he drank heavily and withdrew from
his family, but while it took about a month to recover from the first
setback, he never bounced back from the second.
Cerina Fairfax testified during the divorce proceedings that her husband
drank daily, and that his living space was littered with empty wine
bottles and piles of dirty laundry. He bought a handgun in 2022 with
money intended for horseback riding lessons for their children, court
records showed.
Sophia A. Nelson, a Virginia author and journalist who described Justin
Fairfax as a close friend, said Thursday that he never moved past the
2019 scandal.
She told the AP that during a group text with her and another friend
Tuesday night, he expressed how the recent sexual assault allegations
against Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California had brought back for
him what he continued to insist was an unfair rush to judgment.
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Fairfax County coroners, with two bodies in the van, prepare to
leave the home of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, in
Annandale, Va., Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Nelson said she and other friends repeatedly asked Fairfax to seek
help. She urged him to move out but believes he wasn't able to do so
financially.
“I was concerned, as were other close friends, fraternity brothers,
family members,” Nelson said. "There were talks of suicidal
thoughts.”
Filings show that Justin Fairfax had financial challenges following
the sexual assault allegations, which prompted his resignation as a
partner at a prestigious law firm. The IRS filed a lien against the
couple for more than $91,000 in unpaid taxes that was resolved in
2021.
Nelson said Fairfax was “unemployable” after the scandal and tried
to rebuild his legal career, but with a few successes.
Davis, the police chief, said Justin Fairfax was recently served
with paperwork telling him when next to appear in court. He said
officers went to the family’s home in January after Justin Fairfax
alleged that his wife had assaulted him -- but cameras she had set
up around the home showed “the alleged assault never occurred.”
Cerina Fairfax had a thriving dental practice
The couple met as undergraduates at Duke University and married in
2006. Cerina Fairfax also attended the Virginia Commonwealth
University School of Dentistry, which honored her in 2015 as an
outstanding alumna.
A profile page on the website of her family dentistry practice
described her as an avid reader who liked to travel, practice yoga,
go on trail runs with her Vizsla-breed dogs, and “spend time with
her wonderful family.”
“It’s very sad for this community,” Davis said. “A lot of people who
know the Fairfax family, everybody’s shocked. We’re shocked.”
An outpouring of grief
The deaths stunned political leaders throughout the state.
“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,” Virginia’s Democratic U.S. senators, Mark
Warner and Tim Kaine, said in a joint statement.
Fairfax had served as co-chair for Warner’s 2014 reelection
campaign.
Virginia's Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, posted on X that
she was deeply saddened and praying for the families.
“This tragedy reminds us that domestic violence can occur in any
family and in any place,” she wrote.
Nelson said that as much as she and Justin Fairfax’s other friends
wanted to believe he would never abuse women, killing his wife would
be his epitaph and undercut the good and honorable things he had
done in public life.
“You now fit what many, many men have done in domestic violence
incidences like this,” Nelson said while fighting back tears. “And
that’s how you’re remembered.”
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Biesecker reported from Fairfax County, Virginia. Associated Press
reporters Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, Jonathan
Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, John Raby in Charleston, West
Virginia, Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, Allen G. Breed in Wake
Forest, North Carolina, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed
to this report.
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