- Former Virginia Lieutenant Gov. Justin Fairfax and his wife were found dead at their home in a murder-suicide Thursday morning as the couple was going through a “messy divorce,” police said.
- Cerina and Justin Fairfax separated nearly two years ago, with Cerina filing for divorce last summer, and were still living together with their two teenage children when deaths occurred, according to court docs.
- A judge ordered Justin Fairfax to vacate their shared home by the end of April, citing "extremely high" tensions within the household.
- Cerina Fairfax testified that her husband drank daily, and his living area was often cluttered with empty wine bottles and dirty laundry, according to the Associated Press.
- His mental and emotional health reportedly suffered after his unsuccessful 2013 political campaign and a 2019 sexual assault scandal, leading to heavy drinking and withdrawal from his family, from which he never fully recovered after the latter event, a friend talking to the AP said.
- If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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