The governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, has reacted after former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and his estranged wife, Cerina Fairfax, died in an apparant murder-suicide.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred last night,” Spanberger, 46, wrote in a Thursday, April 16, statement shared via social media. “I am praying for the Fairfax children, and I ask my fellow Virginians to hold them in their hearts and prayers.”
She continued, “The murder of Dr. Cerina Fairfax in an apparent murder-suicide is a horrific tragedy. Dr. Fairfax was a devoted mother, beloved dentist in the Fairfax County community, and engaged supporter of her alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University.”
Justin and Cerina were both found dead hours earlier at their home in Virginia. (Justin and Cerina, who shared two kids, got married in 2006 and separated in 2024.)
“Former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife inside their home, and then shot and killed himself,” local Fairfax, Virginia, police chief Kevin Davis said in a press conference. “This has been an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce. So far what we know is what you know. There seems to be divorce proceedings that have been ongoing.”
Justin, who served as the lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022, had been married to Cerina for nearly 18 years before she filed for divorce in July 2025.
Justin and Cerina Fairfax in 2019. Courtesy of Justin Fairfax/ Instagram
“From what I understand at this early stage, [Justin] was recently served some paperwork associated with an upcoming court proceeding. That apparently led to the incident last night,” Davis said on Thursday. “Both of their children, teenagers … were in the house when it happened. That’s horrible news for the family, certainly a traumatic event for those children to live through.”
Davis claimed that Justin shot Cerina, a dentist in Virginia, “several times” in one room of their family house. The former politician then allegedly ran into another room and shot himself.
Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and his estranged wife, Cerina Fairfax, are dead following an apparent murder-suicide that has sent shockwaves through the political world and beyond. Fairfax County police confirmed the tragedy on April 16, 2026, revealing that Justin, 47, shot and killed Cerina, 48, inside their home before turning the gun on […]
“My prayers are with the Wanzer and Fairfax families as they mourn their own loss, endeavor to make sense of this tragedy, and comfort the Fairfax children,” Spanberger concluded in her X tribute. “This tragedy reminds us that domestic violence can occur in any family and in any place. Resources are available to support our neighbors experiencing domestic violence and facing mental health crises.”
Justin, who was due in court later in April regarding his divorce, previously called the police in January about an alleged altercation with Cerina. Davis claimed in his Thursday press conference that Justin claimed Cerina physically assaulted in January, resulting in a police visit that month.
“We reviewed the cameras [in the home] and we corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred,” Davis said. “There was no arrest made, there was a report written but the allegation that Mr. Fairfax made in January that Mrs. Fairfax assaulted him was proven to be untrue.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
