Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax killed his wife before taking his own life, police say

The constabulary main said the mates was going done a divorce.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. -- Virginia's erstwhile Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who was a rising prima successful the Democratic enactment respective years agone earlier his vocation was derailed by intersexual battle allegations, fatally changeable his woman earlier sidesplitting himself, constabulary said Thursday.

Both were recovered dormant astatine their bluish Virginia location successful Annandale aft the couple's teenage lad called 911 soon aft midnight Thursday, said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.

The mates was going done a divorce, and Fairfax was served precocious with paperwork that indicated erstwhile helium was adjacent to look successful court, Davis said.

In this Thursday Oct. 5, 2017 photograph Democrat campaigner for Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, left, speaks during a statement against Republican Virginia State Sen. Jill Vogel, right.

AP Photo/Steve Helber

"That whitethorn person been a spark," the main said. "Detectives volition fig retired if that led to this calamity here."

For a little play successful 2019, Fairfax had seemed poised to go Virginia politician arsenic Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam became engulfed successful a ungraded implicit a racist photograph connected his aesculapian schoolhouse yearbook that led to calls for Northam's resignation.

But past 2 women came forward, accusing Fairfax of sexually assaulting them years earlier. He adamantly denied the allegations.

Vanessa Tyson said Fairfax - astatine the clip a Columbia Law School pupil serving arsenic an adjutant to Democratic vice statesmanlike nominee John Edwards - forced her to execute oral enactment successful his edifice country during the Democratic National Convention successful Boston successful 2004. Two days aft Tyson's statement, Meredith Watson issued her own, accusing Fairfax of raping her successful 2000, erstwhile they were students astatine Duke University.

The Associated Press mostly does not sanction radical who accidental they are victims of intersexual assault, but some women came guardant publicly. Fairfax said the encounters were consensual and refused calls to resign.

"It's precise bittersweet for this community," Davis said. "A batch of radical who cognize the Fairfax family, everybody's shocked. We're shocked."

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