FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — The murder-suicide involving former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, has shaken their community and drawn national attention as investigators work to piece together what led to the deadly shooting.
Police said Justin Fairfax shot Cerina Fairfax in the basement of their home, then went upstairs and used the same gun to kill himself.
The final moments leading up to the shooting remain under investigation. Their home remained an active crime scene Friday morning.
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Newly surfaced court documents describe a contentious marriage and what a judge characterized as warning signs.
A judge overseeing the couple’s split recently wrote that Justin Fairfax’s “isolation, drinking, and a lack of participation in family life are manifestations of what seems to be a sense of fatalism and hopelessness.”
The judge also said tensions in the home had been extremely high for a while and ordered Fairfax to move out by the end of April.
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Court documents show Cerina Fairfax filed for divorce. She testified that they separated nearly two years ago despite still living together, a situation referred to as a “same roof separation,” which is allowed under Virginia law.
7News spoke with Steve Garver at Divorce Mediation Associates, who described the arrangement this way:
“In Virginia, they can live under the same roof, and still be separated. So one might live in the basement, one may live in the bedroom – but they wouldn’t share bedrooms. They wouldn’t share meals. They wouldn’t do laundry together,” Garver said.
Police said Justin Fairfax had just been served divorce papers, which investigators believe could have been a spark in the case. Cerina Fairfax also testified that her husband drank daily, according to the court documents.
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The judge wrote that Fairfax’s mental and emotional health suffered after multiple setbacks, including a political fall following his failed campaign for governor in 2021 and multiple accusations of sexual assault, which Fairfax always denied.
In 2019, two women came forward and accused Justin Fairfax of sexual assault. He said the encounters were consensual and was not charged with a crime.
Police said the couple’s two teenagers were home at the time of the shooting, and it was their son who called 911.
If you need help, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline. You can also text “START” to 88788. The hotline is available 24/7. If you’re struggling with your mental health, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, also available 24/7.
