Former Virginia lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax and Cerina Fairfax had been separated at the time of their apparent murder-suicide.
“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,” police chief Kevin Davis said in an April 2026 press conference. “There seems to be divorce proceedings that have been ongoing.”
According to Davis, Justin was “recently served some paperwork” associated with his divorce from Cerina.
“That apparently led to the incident,” Davis told reporters, claiming that Justin shot Cerina “several times” in their house before shooting himself. “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 further stated that Justin and Cerina’s divorce had yet to be finalized at the time of their deaths. Keep scrolling for more details on their separation:
Justin Fairfax and Cerina Fairfax Were Married From 2006 to 2025
Justin Fairfax and Cerina Fairfax, who met while attending Duke University, got married in June 2006. Justin and the dentist were married for two decades and welcomed two children, Cameron and Carys, before separating in 2025.
According to court documents viewed by Us Weekly, Cerina filed for divorce in July 2025. She claimed that she separated from Justin in June 2024 while they continued to reside under the same roof.
Justin Fairfax Asked to Dismiss Cerina Fairfax’s Divorce Petition
Justin Fairfax, an attorney representing himself in the divorce, filed an opinion letter in January 2026.
In the letter viewed by Us, Justin objected to Cerina’s petition and claimed that she failed to disclose her intentions to “permanently separate” when they physically separated.
“[Justin] asserts that [Cerina] was required to expressly state in her complaint that she intended to permanently separate from him on June 1, 2024,” the court letter reads. “Instead, she pled only that June 1, 2024, was the date of separation. [Cerina] responds that she need not plead her intent and may prove her intent at trial.”
Justin further pointed out that a Virginia resident can only file for divorce after “having lived separate and apart without interruption” for one year and “prove an intent to permanently live separate.”
The court agreed to Justin’s request for a demurrer. The rest of the complaint had not been settled when Justin and Cerina died.
Justin Fairfax and Cerina Fairfax Were Involved in a Domestic Dispute 4 Months Before Deaths
Justin Fairfax called the Fairfax, Virginia police department in January 2026 over an alleged domestic violence altercation with Cerina Fairfax. The police chief revealed in an April 2026 press conference that Justin claimed at the time that Cerina physically assaulted him.
Law enforcement officers were dispatched to the scene, finding several security cameras mounted in the home.
”We reviewed the cameras [in the home] and we corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred,” police chief Kevin Davis said in an April 2026 statement. “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.
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