Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Commits Murder-Suicide in Family Home
A harrowing 911 call has revealed the immediate aftermath of a murder-suicide involving Virginia's former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and his wife Cerina. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday at their $1 million residence in Annandale, Virginia.
Teenage Son Discovers Bloody Scene
According to audio obtained by the Daily Mail, the couple's 16-year-old son Cameron called emergency services just after midnight. He reported finding his mother's body covered in blood on the floor, stating she was "lying on the ground bleeding" with visible "holes in her shirt."
The teenager told dispatchers his father "might have stabbed his mom" and that he did not know where Justin Fairfax was at that moment. When police and medics arrived at the scene, they discovered Cerina unconscious and bleeding in the unfinished basement of the home.
A responding medic informed dispatch that the victim "doesn't have a pulse" and predicted the situation would be "an obvious D.O.A." (dead on arrival).
Political Figure Found with Self-Inflicted Gunshot
Officers subsequently found Justin Fairfax, 47, in his bedroom with a firearm nearby. He appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The former lieutenant governor, a Democrat who served from 2018 to 2022 under then-Governor Ralph Northam, was Virginia's second most powerful lawmaker during his tenure.
Both Cameron and his 14-year-old sister Carys were home during the violent incident but remained unharmed. The children are now being cared for by relatives and victim services as they cope with the traumatic loss of both parents.
Complicated Divorce Proceedings Underway
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis revealed during a Thursday press briefing that the couple had been married for 20 years but were undergoing what he described as a seemingly "complicated or messy divorce." Cerina, 49, had filed for divorce last year, and court appearances were pending for the following week.
"It is high profile in nature, it's tragic in nature," Davis stated. "Certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going in their favor. So tragic for the children to lose both parents, extra tragic for them to actually be in the home when it occurred."
Investigators noted that Fairfax had recently been served paperwork regarding his upcoming court appearance, which "may have been a spark" for the deadly violence. Despite being separated since June 2024, the couple had continued living together in the same home with separate bedrooms.
Previous Domestic Incident and Political Controversy
Police records show officers responded to the home in January after Fairfax alleged that Cerina had assaulted him. Investigators determined the alleged assault never occurred, and no arrests were made.
Fairfax, a former federal prosecutor and civil litigator, had launched a bid for governor in 2021 but finished fourth in the Democratic primary. His campaign was heavily overshadowed by sexual assault allegations from two women, which he adamantly denied, claiming both encounters were consensual. Throughout that scandal, Cerina had stood by her husband's side.
Ongoing Investigation and Community Impact
The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under active investigation by the Fairfax County Police Major Crimes Bureau. Crime scene investigators have cordoned off the residence and continue their work at the location.
Officials with the Fairfax County coroner's office were seen removing bodies from the home, and autopsies will be conducted to determine the exact causes of death. Police have confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the community.
The tragic event has shocked both the political community and local residents, marking a devastating conclusion to what appeared from the outside to be a successful family and political career.
