A Navy reservist is accused of killing his wife after detectives found her dead inside a freezer at their Norfolk home, and authorities say he left the United States around the time her body was discovered as an international search widened.
David Varela, 38, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Lina M. Guerra, 39, and police say he remains at large. The case moved quickly from a missing-person report to a homicide investigation in early February, and prosecutors say they have asked for help from federal agencies and international partners as they try to locate Varela and bring him back to Virginia to face the charges.
Norfolk police said Guerra was last known to have contact with family on Jan. 16. Relatives grew worried when they could not reach her in the weeks that followed. On Feb. 4, her brother contacted police to report her missing, and detectives opened an investigation that turned urgent within a day, authorities said.
On Feb. 5, investigators went to a residence in the 300 block of East Main Street and executed a search, police said. Inside, detectives found an unresponsive woman who was later identified as Guerra, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. Authorities have not publicly said when they believe she died, and they have not released medical details beyond the ruling that her death was a homicide.
An autopsy completed Feb. 10 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Guerra’s death a homicide, police said. Two days later, detectives obtained charges against Varela, according to a Norfolk Police Department statement. Police have said they are not releasing details about the circumstances of the death while the investigation continues, including what evidence led them to name Varela as the suspect and what they believe happened inside the home.
Authorities say the investigation quickly took on an added complication: Varela could not be found. Prosecutors and police have said they believe he left the country “on or about” Feb. 5, the same day detectives found Guerra’s body. Court filings referenced in local reporting describe investigators working with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service after Varela could not be located and after police were unable to reach him.
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said his office asked Interpol for assistance, calling it a rare step for local prosecutors. “Going on 19 plus years as a state and federal prosecutor, this is only the second case where I’ve had to involve Interpol,” Fatehi told a local television station. Fatehi said that while the paperwork can be time-consuming, the urgent focus is finding the suspect and getting the legal process in place to return him to court in Virginia.
Investigators say Varela has no clear ties to Hong Kong, a point officials have raised as they try to understand where he may be and why he went there. In public statements described in local coverage, authorities have said they developed information suggesting he traveled to Hong Kong after leaving the United States. Prosecutors have also said Varela has family in Colombia. Officials have not said whether they believe he received help leaving the country or where he may have traveled since arriving overseas.
In addition to the state charges, prosecutors have said Varela also faces a federal charge tied to fleeing to avoid arrest or prosecution, a move that can widen investigative options and strengthen efforts to locate him. Authorities have not announced whether Interpol has issued a public notice for Varela, but prosecutors have described the request for help as part of a broader effort to share information with law enforcement agencies outside the United States.
The manhunt also intersects with broader diplomatic issues that can slow a case even after a suspect is found. The United States moved in 2020 to suspend its extradition agreement with Hong Kong, complicating the process of returning fugitives. Officials have not laid out a timeline for what a return to Virginia could look like, saying the priority is confirming Varela’s location and working through available legal channels.
The Navy has confirmed Varela is an enlisted Navy reservist from Florida who was on active orders and working as an electrician, according to statements carried in local reporting. The service said it was aware of the investigation involving the death of a Navy spouse in the Norfolk area and said it is cooperating with local, state and federal law enforcement. The Navy has also said NCIS is conducting a joint investigation with Norfolk police.
Family members have described a confusing stretch of days as they tried to find Guerra and make sense of what they were being told. Relatives said they grew suspicious during the time she was missing because of messages they said they received from Varela. They said he claimed Guerra had been arrested for shoplifting and was being held in custody, a story they said did not add up. Relatives said he sent a photo that appeared to show her in an orange jail jumpsuit, and they later said they found no record that she had been charged with or convicted of shoplifting.
Those accounts have not been tested in court, and police have not publicly described any prior calls for service, protective orders or earlier reports of domestic trouble involving the couple. Still, relatives and friends have described Guerra as warm and hardworking and have said the case has left them shaken. A family member identified in local reporting as Ramirez said Guerra was the “pillar” of the family and “very loved,” describing her as adventurous, humble and devoted to her loved ones and her three dogs.
Neighbors in the area described a quiet building that suddenly became a crime scene as investigators came and went. Police have said little about what evidence they recovered inside the home, including whether they found surveillance video, a weapon or signs of a struggle. Officials have asked for patience, saying the investigation remains active and that releasing details could interfere with efforts to locate Varela and build a case that can hold up in court.
Even the basic timeline has left unanswered questions. Police have said Guerra was found Feb. 5 and that the homicide ruling came Feb. 10, but they have not publicly said when she was killed. They also have not said whether Varela was seen in the neighborhood after Jan. 16, whether he returned to work as usual, or whether investigators have traced his travel through airport records and digital data beyond what has been described in court filings.
Fatehi said cases involving intimate partners can be especially painful for families and investigators because of the trust that is supposed to exist in a relationship. “Every homicide is emotionally taxing,” he said, adding that cases involving partners can be difficult because the people involved supposedly care for each other. Fatehi did not discuss specific evidence in Guerra’s death, saying the case is pending and the suspect has not been arrested.
For investigators, the search now depends on coordination across agencies and borders. Police have said they are working with federal partners and using available records to determine where Varela traveled, whether he stayed in contact with anyone after leaving, and whether he can be detained and returned. Officials have not said whether they believe Varela used his own identification to travel or whether he may have taken steps to conceal his movements.
For Guerra’s family, the missing-person report quickly became a death investigation with an open-ended wait for accountability. Relatives have said they want Varela brought back to Norfolk to face the charges and want investigators to explain what happened. Friends have said the loss has left them grieving not only the death, but also the weeks of uncertainty before detectives found Guerra.
As of Thursday, authorities said Varela remained at large, and investigators had not released a motive or detailed circumstances surrounding the killing. Police said the investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors said the next milestone will be locating Varela and taking him into custody so the case can proceed in court.
Author note: Last updated February 21, 2026.