Anonymous
04/17/2026 22:04
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Could there be processes that get guns temporarily confiscated during family law proceedings if there has been red flag behaviors like alcoholism and fights? Just getting rid of the easy access might help in situations like this.
Virginia has red flag laws. But someone has to feel comfortable making the report without fear of retaliation. The person responsible for half your kids' tuition and the mortgage - you comfortable reporting on them?
She was a dentist, FFS. Of course she could afford to walk away, rent a small apartment, either cover kids' tuition by herself or put them into public school for a period of divorce. This is really bothers me - according to the article, she knew he purchased the gun in 2022. She knew for at least several months he was heavy drinker. She knew that he does not value human lives. Why was she staying in the same house with him?
DV survivor. No you absolutely cannot do this. It's called kidnapping and a court would eviscerate you for taking such drastic actions. An abusive partner will use the courts to attempt to take the kids from you too.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 21:56
Subject: Re:Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:I didn't read the entire thread--a lot of it, but not all--so my apologies if someone else already said this.
She is a dentist. That means she works in a place that has to be publicly known in order for her to get patients. IOW, it's not a job in which she can work from home or a domestic violence shelter. Even if she only saw existing patients who were willing to come to her, she's not going to have the equipment she needs to treat them.
In that case, an order of protection or just moving out is of limited use. She can move out of their shared home, but he knows exactly where she's going to be most of the day most days. An order of protection isn't going to stop a man angry enough to murder her sitting in the parking lot waiting for her to go into or come out of the building or, worse, storming into her office and shooting her in front of her co-workers. There are a gazillion women with protection orders who moved out of a shared abode and were killed at work or en route to/from work by enraged ex boyfriends and husbands.
Plus, they have kids. Even if she took them with her, he knows where they go to school and she might worry that he will pressure them to tell him where she is if she does stay out of work. Shooting your kids to punish a wife you're angry with isn't rare.
So, I wish those of you who are blaming her for not leaving and saying that was an easy solution would stop.
This exact thing happened to my aunt. Her abusive ex-husband killed her and then himself in a parking lot shortly after they divorced. The people who are blaming her do not understand these dynamics and need to just stop.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 20:59
Subject: Re:Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous
04/17/2026 18:51
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Though they were still living together during their separation and divorce planning, court documents obtained by News 4, a Washington, D.C., television station, revealed that Fairfax had been ordered to move out of their home by the end of April 2026, with a judge also ordering him to be fined $300 for each day he continued not to comply with orders and compensate Cerina for money he owed her.[102] Fairfax lost custody of their children.[102]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Fairfax
Justin Fairfax lost custody of kids, was ordered to move out, court documents say
During the divorce proceedings, Cerina installed cameras throughout the home, according to Fairfax County police. Those cameras were rolling during the shooting, police say, like they were in January, when Justin called police and claimed his wife had assaulted him.
“We reviewed those cameras and corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred,” Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis said at a news conference.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/justin-fairfax-lost-custody-of-kids-was-ordered-to-move-out-court-documents-say/4091916/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Fairfax
Justin Fairfax lost custody of kids, was ordered to move out, court documents say
During the divorce proceedings, Cerina installed cameras throughout the home, according to Fairfax County police. Those cameras were rolling during the shooting, police say, like they were in January, when Justin called police and claimed his wife had assaulted him.
“We reviewed those cameras and corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred,” Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis said at a news conference.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/justin-fairfax-lost-custody-of-kids-was-ordered-to-move-out-court-documents-say/4091916/
Anonymous
04/17/2026 17:54
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Could there be processes that get guns temporarily confiscated during family law proceedings if there has been red flag behaviors like alcoholism and fights? Just getting rid of the easy access might help in situations like this.
Virginia has red flag laws. But someone has to feel comfortable making the report without fear of retaliation. The person responsible for half your kids' tuition and the mortgage - you comfortable reporting on them?
She was a dentist, FFS. Of course she could afford to walk away, rent a small apartment, either cover kids' tuition by herself or put them into public school for a period of divorce. This is really bothers me - according to the article, she knew he purchased the gun in 2022. She knew for at least several months he was heavy drinker. She knew that he does not value human lives. Why was she staying in the same house with him?
Please stop victim blaming.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 17:10
Subject: Re:Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
I didn't read the entire thread--a lot of it, but not all--so my apologies if someone else already said this.
She is a dentist. That means she works in a place that has to be publicly known in order for her to get patients. IOW, it's not a job in which she can work from home or a domestic violence shelter. Even if she only saw existing patients who were willing to come to her, she's not going to have the equipment she needs to treat them.
In that case, an order of protection or just moving out is of limited use. She can move out of their shared home, but he knows exactly where she's going to be most of the day most days. An order of protection isn't going to stop a man angry enough to murder her sitting in the parking lot waiting for her to go into or come out of the building or, worse, storming into her office and shooting her in front of her co-workers. There are a gazillion women with protection orders who moved out of a shared abode and were killed at work or en route to/from work by enraged ex boyfriends and husbands.
Plus, they have kids. Even if she took them with her, he knows where they go to school and she might worry that he will pressure them to tell him where she is if she does stay out of work. Shooting your kids to punish a wife you're angry with isn't rare.
So, I wish those of you who are blaming her for not leaving and saying that was an easy solution would stop.
She is a dentist. That means she works in a place that has to be publicly known in order for her to get patients. IOW, it's not a job in which she can work from home or a domestic violence shelter. Even if she only saw existing patients who were willing to come to her, she's not going to have the equipment she needs to treat them.
In that case, an order of protection or just moving out is of limited use. She can move out of their shared home, but he knows exactly where she's going to be most of the day most days. An order of protection isn't going to stop a man angry enough to murder her sitting in the parking lot waiting for her to go into or come out of the building or, worse, storming into her office and shooting her in front of her co-workers. There are a gazillion women with protection orders who moved out of a shared abode and were killed at work or en route to/from work by enraged ex boyfriends and husbands.
Plus, they have kids. Even if she took them with her, he knows where they go to school and she might worry that he will pressure them to tell him where she is if she does stay out of work. Shooting your kids to punish a wife you're angry with isn't rare.
So, I wish those of you who are blaming her for not leaving and saying that was an easy solution would stop.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 16:45
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is reported they were in the middle of a messy divorce. So awful.
Ugh. Another layer of awful.
In Virginia, you must be separated for a year in order to get divorced and you can live in the same house while being separated (if you move you it can be seen by the court as abandoning your claim to the house, happened to my cousin). Reports are that the couple had started this process so I am not surprised they were both still living in the house.
Fairfax made an accusation against his wife earlier this year that she had physically assaulted him. Apparently she had cameras in the house and after reviewing the footage the police determined the assault claim wasn't valid and there was a scheduled upcoming court date re this incident which could be what triggered the current awful events.
There were 2 teen sons in the house. This is absolutely awful.
I hope this is a wake up call to change the law re: leaving the home. It forces women into staying in a potentially very dangerous situation.
That and the 1 year separation. What is the purpose??
Tragic.
Maryland recently shortened their one year separation requirement to six months if there are no children in the marriage. I think the rationale is that the state has an interest in wanting couples to be sure they need to get a divorce before they do? Not supporting this.
The part they need to change is about "home abandonment." Fine, make people wait, but don't penalize their assets for leaving to do so.
Can someone point me to the Virginia law(s) that make it financially risky to move out of the house before the divorce is finalized? What an insane game of gotcha for a couple in a contentious divorce. I hate everything about this story.
I don’t know the law but a friend of mine moved out of the marital home while her ex was away on a business trip and he claimed she had abandoned the home (as in abandoned her financial claim to the home) and the judge agreed, so the ex got the house and didn’t have to buy her out. This was 10 years ago in NOVA.
This does not surprise me. I was told not to leave the house by my lawyer. And I couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage and a new place so my credit would have been ruined (he was not paying the mortgage and was in extreme debt). I applied for a restraining order and was told that unless I had bruises, blood, or broken bones, I couldn’t have one (never mind that he was raging and destroying property in the house and terrorizing my children and me). 10 yrs later, I still have not found a way to get divorced that would not put my children in the middle of a trauma to experience (i.e. hang dragged through court, witnessing police having to intervene in domestic disputes, etc). The law does not recognize escalating behavior (coercive control, rages, property destruction, financial control, etc.) as a risk factor for women, even though clearly that is what eventually leads to violence. The law needs to catch up with the research on domestic violence).
Me again. Also, he would still get 50 pct custody likely, and then she has to leave her kids unattended with him. This is why women stay. Bc no matter how unhinged the husband is, they still get 50 pct custody usually. It is very expensive to have a fault divorce and many women don’t have access to the kind of money to procure a lawyer for that kind of divorce.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 16:45
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is reported they were in the middle of a messy divorce. So awful.
Ugh. Another layer of awful.
In Virginia, you must be separated for a year in order to get divorced and you can live in the same house while being separated (if you move you it can be seen by the court as abandoning your claim to the house, happened to my cousin). Reports are that the couple had started this process so I am not surprised they were both still living in the house.
Fairfax made an accusation against his wife earlier this year that she had physically assaulted him. Apparently she had cameras in the house and after reviewing the footage the police determined the assault claim wasn't valid and there was a scheduled upcoming court date re this incident which could be what triggered the current awful events.
There were 2 teen sons in the house. This is absolutely awful.
I hope this is a wake up call to change the law re: leaving the home. It forces women into staying in a potentially very dangerous situation.
That and the 1 year separation. What is the purpose??
Tragic.
Maryland recently shortened their one year separation requirement to six months if there are no children in the marriage. I think the rationale is that the state has an interest in wanting couples to be sure they need to get a divorce before they do? Not supporting this.
The part they need to change is about "home abandonment." Fine, make people wait, but don't penalize their assets for leaving to do so.
Can someone point me to the Virginia law(s) that make it financially risky to move out of the house before the divorce is finalized? What an insane game of gotcha for a couple in a contentious divorce. I hate everything about this story.
I don’t know the law but a friend of mine moved out of the marital home while her ex was away on a business trip and he claimed she had abandoned the home (as in abandoned her financial claim to the home) and the judge agreed, so the ex got the house and didn’t have to buy her out. This was 10 years ago in NOVA.
This does not surprise me. I was told not to leave the house by my lawyer. And I couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage and a new place so my credit would have been ruined (he was not paying the mortgage and was in extreme debt). I applied for a restraining order and was told that unless I had bruises, blood, or broken bones, I couldn’t have one (never mind that he was raging and destroying property in the house and terrorizing my children and me). 10 yrs later, I still have not found a way to get divorced that would not put my children in the middle of a trauma to experience (i.e. hang dragged through court, witnessing police having to intervene in domestic disputes, etc). The law does not recognize escalating behavior (coercive control, rages, property destruction, financial control, etc.) as a risk factor for women, even though clearly that is what eventually leads to violence. The law needs to catch up with the research on domestic violence).
Unless you have cameras installed in the house, like this smart lady did. He called the police on her and said she assaulted him. The cameras she had installed showed the police Justin was a liar.
He probably hoped the police would believe him as a former Lt. gov and put his wife out, so she had to pay the mortgage while he continued to drink in the house. Total monster.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 16:41
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is reported they were in the middle of a messy divorce. So awful.
Ugh. Another layer of awful.
In Virginia, you must be separated for a year in order to get divorced and you can live in the same house while being separated (if you move you it can be seen by the court as abandoning your claim to the house, happened to my cousin). Reports are that the couple had started this process so I am not surprised they were both still living in the house.
Fairfax made an accusation against his wife earlier this year that she had physically assaulted him. Apparently she had cameras in the house and after reviewing the footage the police determined the assault claim wasn't valid and there was a scheduled upcoming court date re this incident which could be what triggered the current awful events.
There were 2 teen sons in the house. This is absolutely awful.
I hope this is a wake up call to change the law re: leaving the home. It forces women into staying in a potentially very dangerous situation.
That and the 1 year separation. What is the purpose??
Tragic.
Maryland recently shortened their one year separation requirement to six months if there are no children in the marriage. I think the rationale is that the state has an interest in wanting couples to be sure they need to get a divorce before they do? Not supporting this.
The part they need to change is about "home abandonment." Fine, make people wait, but don't penalize their assets for leaving to do so.
Can someone point me to the Virginia law(s) that make it financially risky to move out of the house before the divorce is finalized? What an insane game of gotcha for a couple in a contentious divorce. I hate everything about this story.
I don’t know the law but a friend of mine moved out of the marital home while her ex was away on a business trip and he claimed she had abandoned the home (as in abandoned her financial claim to the home) and the judge agreed, so the ex got the house and didn’t have to buy her out. This was 10 years ago in NOVA.
This does not surprise me. I was told not to leave the house by my lawyer. And I couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage and a new place so my credit would have been ruined (he was not paying the mortgage and was in extreme debt). I applied for a restraining order and was told that unless I had bruises, blood, or broken bones, I couldn’t have one (never mind that he was raging and destroying property in the house and terrorizing my children and me). 10 yrs later, I still have not found a way to get divorced that would not put my children in the middle of a trauma to experience (i.e. hang dragged through court, witnessing police having to intervene in domestic disputes, etc). The law does not recognize escalating behavior (coercive control, rages, property destruction, financial control, etc.) as a risk factor for women, even though clearly that is what eventually leads to violence. The law needs to catch up with the research on domestic violence).
Anonymous
04/17/2026 16:07
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Could there be processes that get guns temporarily confiscated during family law proceedings if there has been red flag behaviors like alcoholism and fights? Just getting rid of the easy access might help in situations like this.
Virginia has red flag laws. But someone has to feel comfortable making the report without fear of retaliation. The person responsible for half your kids' tuition and the mortgage - you comfortable reporting on them?
She was a dentist, FFS. Of course she could afford to walk away, rent a small apartment, either cover kids' tuition by herself or put them into public school for a period of divorce. This is really bothers me - according to the article, she knew he purchased the gun in 2022. She knew for at least several months he was heavy drinker. She knew that he does not value human lives. Why was she staying in the same house with him?
She can't force him to leave their jointly owned house. She eventually had to get a court order to force him to leave the house, and he literally murdered her days later.
My guess why she didn't leave -- he has no money. He makes little and spends everything. He would have let the house go into foreclosure and would have been homeless. It's an incredibly uncomfortable and difficult situation.
And while she likely makes good money as a dentist, it sure sounds like he put their family in dire straits financially. She entered into a post-nuptial agreement whereby they separated finances so that she could protect herself, and he didn't hold up any of his end of the bargain, which is why she initiated divorce and separation. I'd guess they drained everything on legal fees and he accumulated massive debts in both of their names.
Try to be less of an a**hole.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 15:42
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:OMG his kid goes my kid's school. This is horrible.
Same. We received an email with the information, and a copy of the information they would tell the student body. My kid brought it up in the car on the way home. Our heart breaks for the kids, being in the house, having to call 911, being in that house for the police... it's just awful. I hope that loving family is close and the kids can continue at their respective schools.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 15:30
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Could there be processes that get guns temporarily confiscated during family law proceedings if there has been red flag behaviors like alcoholism and fights? Just getting rid of the easy access might help in situations like this.
Virginia has red flag laws. But someone has to feel comfortable making the report without fear of retaliation. The person responsible for half your kids' tuition and the mortgage - you comfortable reporting on them?
She was a dentist, FFS. Of course she could afford to walk away, rent a small apartment, either cover kids' tuition by herself or put them into public school for a period of divorce. This is really bothers me - according to the article, she knew he purchased the gun in 2022. She knew for at least several months he was heavy drinker. She knew that he does not value human lives. Why was she staying in the same house with him?
You have absolutely no idea of her financial situation. Maybe she shouldered his campaign debt. Maybe she paid for his legal fees regarding his prior SA accusations.
Maybe she thought that staying would keep him under control. Or would he go to her dentist practice and shoot her there? Or shoot her and her employees and patients? She was the victim.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 15:26
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Could there be processes that get guns temporarily confiscated during family law proceedings if there has been red flag behaviors like alcoholism and fights? Just getting rid of the easy access might help in situations like this.
Virginia has red flag laws. But someone has to feel comfortable making the report without fear of retaliation. The person responsible for half your kids' tuition and the mortgage - you comfortable reporting on them?
She was a dentist, FFS. Of course she could afford to walk away, rent a small apartment, either cover kids' tuition by herself or put them into public school for a period of divorce. This is really bothers me - according to the article, she knew he purchased the gun in 2022. She knew for at least several months he was heavy drinker. She knew that he does not value human lives. Why was she staying in the same house with him?
You really, really don't understand abuse, the addicted family system, or the cost of divorce, do you.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 15:10
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Could there be processes that get guns temporarily confiscated during family law proceedings if there has been red flag behaviors like alcoholism and fights? Just getting rid of the easy access might help in situations like this.
Virginia has red flag laws. But someone has to feel comfortable making the report without fear of retaliation. The person responsible for half your kids' tuition and the mortgage - you comfortable reporting on them?
She was a dentist, FFS. Of course she could afford to walk away, rent a small apartment, either cover kids' tuition by herself or put them into public school for a period of divorce. This is really bothers me - according to the article, she knew he purchased the gun in 2022. She knew for at least several months he was heavy drinker. She knew that he does not value human lives. Why was she staying in the same house with him?
Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe different choices could have been made but it not like she can go back and change them. Maybe she was just trying to keep the kids living and schooling situation the same.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 14:56
Subject: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax - murder/suicide?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Could there be processes that get guns temporarily confiscated during family law proceedings if there has been red flag behaviors like alcoholism and fights? Just getting rid of the easy access might help in situations like this.
Virginia has red flag laws. But someone has to feel comfortable making the report without fear of retaliation. The person responsible for half your kids' tuition and the mortgage - you comfortable reporting on them?
She was a dentist, FFS. Of course she could afford to walk away, rent a small apartment, either cover kids' tuition by herself or put them into public school for a period of divorce. This is really bothers me - according to the article, she knew he purchased the gun in 2022. She knew for at least several months he was heavy drinker. She knew that he does not value human lives. Why was she staying in the same house with him?