Virginia Ex-Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Kills Wife and Self, Police Say

Key Points:

• Justin Fairfax, former lieutenant governor of Virginia, and his wife Cerina Fairfax were found dead in a murder-suicide at their Annandale home, with Fairfax reportedly shooting his wife before taking his own life; their teenage children were present during the incident.
• Fairfax, 47, served as Virginia's lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 and faced sexual assault allegations from two women in 2019, which he denied; he completed his term and lost the 2021 Democratic primary for governor.
• Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis stated the couple was involved in an ongoing domestic dispute related to a complicated divorce, with court records confirming divorce proceedings earlier this year.
• Fairfax's political career was marked by controversy in 2019 amid a series of scandals involving Virginia's top officials, including allegations against Fairfax and revelations of blackface incidents by Governor Ralph Northam and the state attorney general.
• Despite the scandals, Fairfax, Northam, and the attorney general all completed their terms in office.