New Delhi: In a gruesome incident in the United States, a former lieutenant governor of Virginia, Justin Fairfax, has murdered his wife, and then took his own life. The former politician, Fairfax (47) and his dentist wife Cerina Fairfax (49) were found dead in their home in the Washington, DC. The police rushed to the scene after their teenage son reported the crime shortly after midnight.
What led to the crime?
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said on Thursday that the crime was probably related to the ongoing divorce of the couple. He added that the incident has been an extremely sad on for the community as the Fairfax family was well-known there and it has shocked everyone.
According to a report by the Associated Press, citing a court filing, stated that Fairfax and Cerina got separated in 2024. Later in 2025, they filed for divorce. Police hinted on Thursday that the couple were still living in the same home with their two children. During the time of the shootings, both the children were at home. Davis said that recently, Fairfax was “served some paperwork” which was related to “an upcoming court proceeding” and “that apparently led to this incident.”
The downfall of Justin Fairfax
The Fairfax County Police Chief added that Cerina had installed cameras in the home. Notably, in January, Justin had called the police accusing his wife of assaulting him, a claim Davis said was disproved by footage from the cameras. There was time when Justin was considered an prominent figure in the state’s Democratic Party who had potential to rise higher.
However, since 2019, when he was serving as lieutenant governor, Justin had been accused of sexual assault. His staff resigned and many called for his own resignation, but Fairfax completed his full term in the office till 2022, refuting the allegations as false as false. In 2021, he ran for governor but got less than four percent of the vote which brought down the curtains on his political career.