’Life will never be the same’: Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax’s sister breaks the silence after her death

“Outdated gun and divorce laws in Virginia have destroyed my family,” Dr. Cerina W. Fairfax’s sister pens a tribute to the femicide victim.

Weeks after Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax was reportedly killed by her husband, former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, her family is speaking out. This week, Dr. Fairfax’s sister penned a loving tribute to the late dentist. 

“My oldest sister Cerina Wanzer Fairfax was murdered by her husband on April 16th. Outdated gun and divorce laws in Virginia have destroyed my family and life will never be the same,” Arisce Wanzer wrote on Instagram. “A lot of people get to meet their true loves on their journey through life…I was born with mine. I always saw our family as a beautiful, solid structure; big, pristine with each pillar doing their part holding up the roof, none less important than the other.” 

“No matter what didn’t work out for me; relationships, my dreams, hopes, goals, I always knew that I had what i needed in my solid fortress of love and support back home. We were home. Together. Cerina, although tiny in stature, was a loadbearing column…now part of my house is collapsed and there’s a whole lot of rain getting in,” she added. 

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As previously reported by theGrio, police say Fairfax shot and killed his wife before taking his own life at their Annandale, Va., home in April, while the couple’s teenage children were inside. As communities grieve the death of the accomplished dentist, mother, and community leader, the state of Virginia lowered flags statewide in her honor in on May 4. 

“I definitely would put politician’s wife at the bottom of the list,” said Dr. Wanzer Fairfax’s friend, turned patient, Terron Sims II, as previously reported by theGrio. “She was one of the most loving, caring people. [It’s important] that Cerina is a real person and an accomplished person and one of the best in her field.”

“She was always curious and looking forward to what’s next, fearless. She continuously set the bar so high that it took the pressure off from having to be our parents wildest dreams. The irony is that that’s exactly what we all became. It gave us the freedom and example to reach towards our goals and now we’re all accomplished individuals who chose our own paths to success and happiness…always coming together with love and support for one another,” Dr. Wanzer Fairfax’s sister continued. “She took me to my first modeling competition when i was 14, drove me all the way to DC, and said i had as good a chance as anyone else there. She taught me to ignore the mean hateful people around me, I’ve always been different. She was always proud of me and that always felt really great when my own plans were not working out.” 

She further explained that there is “no word in the English language” that accurately describes what she and her family are feeling following Dr. Wanzer Fairfax’s unexpected passing. Unfortunately, Wanzer Fairfax was one of the many Black women who fell victim to femicide in April 2026, spotlighting the fact that 9 out of 10 Black women murdered by males are killed by someone they know, and are killed at four times the rate of white women, per the  Violence Policy Center. This reality inspired Wanzer’s call to action: 

“Thoughts and prayers are a lovely gesture, but voting and advocating for women’s rights, especially in divorce cases, and stricter gun laws are the only things that will prevent this kind of devastating tragedy from happening to anyone else.” 

“We will always love her, and each of us will have Cerina in our broken hearts forever. We are all so lucky we got to love her; everyone who knew her is better because of it. Thank you so much for everything. I still need you. I still love you. Forever,” she concluded.