A Navy reservist is now the focus of an international manhunt after authorities found the body of his missing wife, 39‑year‑old Lina M. Guerra Echavarria, stored in a kitchen freezer inside their Norfolk, Virginia, apartment. David Varela, 38, has been charged with first‑degree murder and concealment of a corpse, and investigators believe he fled to Hong Kong shortly after Guerra’s brother reported her missing.
Norfolk Police officers located Guerra’s remains on Feb. 5 while serving a search warrant at an apartment in the ICON building on the 300 block of East Main Street. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. Guerra’s relatives in Colombia had last heard from her on Jan. 16, prompting her brother in Miami to contact authorities on Feb. 2 after more than two weeks with no communication.
Over that time span, Varela fabricated an elaborate story. He told Guerra’s relatives in Colombia that she had been arrested for shoplifting and sentenced to five years in prison. He even sent a photo he claimed was taken during a jail visit, showing her in what appeared to be an orange jumpsuit. Messages shared with investigators show Varela telling Guerra’s sister‑in‑law, Paola Ramirez, that he “has not stopped crying” and “hasn’t eaten in more than a day” due to her alleged incarceration.
But court records confirmed that Guerra had never been charged with or convicted of any shoplifting-related crime.
The Norfolk Police Department is collaborating with the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Interpol as they search for Varela, who serves as an electrician in the Navy Reserves. Emergency requests to WhatsApp provided location data showing activity in Hong Kong around Feb. 5—the same day Guerra’s body was recovered and one day after she was reported missing.
Varela enlisted in the Navy in 2007 and accumulated more than 10 years of service, including a break between 2012 and 2017. He first served aboard the USS San Francisco in 2008 and rejoined the Navy Reserves in Miami in 2017. He failed to respond to repeated attempts by his command to contact him, behavior his superiors described as highly out of character. Along with state charges, he now faces a federal charge for fleeing to evade prosecution.
The U.S. Navy confirmed its involvement, stating: “The Navy is aware of the ongoing investigation led by Norfolk Police Department involving the death of a Navy spouse in the Norfolk area and is in full cooperation with local, state, and federal law enforcement.”
Investigators also indicated that although Varela has family in Colombia, he has no known ties to Hong Kong or China. His travel appears intentional—the United States suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in July 2020 through an executive order issued by President Trump, after concerns over China’s national security law that critics argued eroded Hong Kong’s autonomy. The suspended treaty creates significant obstacles in bringing the suspect back to face charges.
Members of Guerra’s family described ongoing patterns of controlling and abusive behavior throughout her relationship with Varela. The two met roughly 11 years ago in Miami, where Guerra worked as a waitress and Varela as a cook, and they later married. Ramirez told reporters that Varela was jealous and restricted Guerra from working, socializing, studying, or going out alone. They relocated to Virginia about two years ago due to Varela’s military assignment.
“I want to emphasize that there had been violence before from David,” Ramirez told WTKR through a translator. “He had hit her previously, but she didn’t tell us because she didn’t want to worry us.”
Guerra’s cousin, Pilar Angel Echevarria, spoke with reporters from Colombia about the devastating loss. She said Guerra came from a small family and that their relationship was more like that of sisters. They talked several times daily until communication suddenly ended on Jan. 16.
The distance between Colombia and Virginia has intensified the family’s anguish as they try to understand what occurred. Echevarria said Guerra wished to be cremated like her mother, and she hopes to travel to the U.S. to bring her cousin’s remains home once the investigation concludes. Guerra’s aunt, Elizabeth Echavarria, expressed the family’s sorrow, saying: “It’s awful he took my little girl away.”
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi is pursuing extradition through Interpol by securing a Red Notice, a tool used when no extradition treaty exists. He voiced cautious optimism regarding the international search. The suspended extradition treaty with Hong Kong complicates the effort, but officials say they have strong indications of Varela’s whereabouts.
Authorities are urging anyone with knowledge of Varela’s location to contact the Norfolk Police Department, the FBI, or their local law enforcement agency.
