A Navy reservist is now the target of a global search after authorities located the body of his missing wife, 39‑year‑old Lina M. Guerra Echavarria, inside a kitchen freezer in their Norfolk, Virginia, apartment. David Varela, 38, has been charged with first‑degree murder and hiding a corpse, and investigators believe he fled to Hong Kong soon after Guerra’s brother reported her disappearance.
Officers with the Norfolk Police Department discovered Guerra’s remains on Feb. 5 while executing a search warrant at an apartment in the 300 block of East Main Street in the ICON building. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined her death was a homicide. Guerra’s relatives in Colombia had not heard from her since Jan. 16, prompting her brother in Miami to alert police on Feb. 2 after more than two weeks without contact.
During that period, Varela constructed an elaborate lie. He told Guerra’s family in Colombia that she had been arrested for shoplifting and given a five‑year prison sentence. He even sent a photo claiming to show him visiting her in jail, where she appeared to be wearing 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” because of her supposed imprisonment.
However, court documents confirmed that Guerra had never been charged with or convicted of any shoplifting offense.
The Norfolk Police Department is working with the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Interpol in the search for Varela, an active‑duty enlisted Navy reservist serving as an electrician. Emergency requests to WhatsApp produced location data showing activity in Hong Kong on or around Feb. 5—the same day Guerra’s body was found and just one day after she was reported missing.
Varela joined the Navy in 2007 and accumulated over a decade of service, including a five‑year hiatus between 2012 and 2017. He first served aboard the USS San Francisco in 2008 and reentered the Navy Reserves in Miami in 2017. He ignored repeated attempts by his command to reach him, behavior his superiors described as extremely unusual. In addition to state charges, Varela is facing a federal charge for fleeing to avoid prosecution.
The U.S. Navy released a statement confirming its involvement: “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 noted that although Varela has relatives in Colombia, he has no known connection to Hong Kong or China. His choice of destination appears deliberate—the United States suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in July 2020 through an executive order signed by President Trump, following concerns over China’s national security law that critics said undermined Hong Kong’s autonomy. The suspended treaty poses major challenges to returning the suspect to face charges.
Members of Guerra’s family described long‑standing patterns of controlling and abusive behavior throughout her relationship with Varela. The couple met around 11 years ago in Miami, where Guerra worked as a waitress and Varela as a cook, and they married shortly afterward. Ramirez told reporters that Varela was jealous and restricted Guerra from working, making friends, studying, or going out alone. They moved to Virginia about two years ago for 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 heartbreaking loss. She said Guerra came from a small family and that their bond was closer than cousins—more like sisters. The two talked several times a day until communication abruptly stopped on Jan. 16.
The physical distance between Colombia and Virginia has deepened the family’s pain as they try to comprehend what happened. Echevarria said Guerra had expressed a wish to be cremated like her mother, and she hopes to travel to the United States to retrieve her cousin’s remains once the investigation is complete. Guerra’s aunt, Elizabeth Echavarria, voiced the family’s grief to reporters: “It’s awful he took my little girl away.”
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi is seeking extradition through Interpol by obtaining a Red Notice, a mechanism used when no extradition treaty is in place. He expressed guarded optimism about the international search. The suspended extradition treaty with Hong Kong means the effort will be difficult, but officials say they have strong leads on Varela’s location.
Authorities are urging anyone with information on Varela’s whereabouts to contact the Norfolk Police Department, the FBI, or their local law enforcement agency.
