A Navy reservist is accused of killing his wife after her body was found at their Norfolk home, and authorities say they believe he fled to Hong Kong as an international search began. David Varela, 38, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Lina M. Guerra, 39, police said.
The case has drawn attention because investigators say Varela left the United States around the time police discovered Guerra’s body on Feb. 5. Norfolk police and prosecutors have asked for help from federal agencies and Interpol, a step the city’s top prosecutor said is rare in his office. Officials have not released a motive, and the medical examiner’s findings beyond a homicide ruling have not been made public.
Guerra was last known to have contact with family on Jan. 16, relatives and authorities have said. Weeks later, concern turned to alarm when her family could not reach her. Her brother contacted police to report her missing in early February, and detectives opened a missing-person investigation that quickly escalated. On Feb. 5, investigators executed a search at a residence in the 300 block of East Main Street in Norfolk and found an unresponsive woman later identified as Guerra, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy completed Feb. 10 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide, and detectives charged Varela two days later, according to a Norfolk Police Department statement. Police have said they are not releasing details about the circumstances of the death, including where in the home Guerra was found, as the investigation continues. The lack of public information has left relatives and neighbors searching for answers while investigators focus on locating the suspect.
Authorities say they have not arrested Varela and believe he left the country. Court filings described in local reporting say investigators worked with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service after Varela could not be located. According to those filings, investigators developed information that he may have traveled to Hong Kong “on or about” Feb. 5. In statements to reporters, officials said they had probable cause to believe he fled to avoid prosecution.
Investigators have said Varela has no clear ties to Hong Kong, a point that has raised questions about why he would go there. In some reporting, authorities cited location information from messaging data that suggested he was in Hong Kong after he left the United States. Prosecutors have also said Varela has family in Colombia. They have not described whether they believe he received help leaving the country or where he may have gone since arriving in Hong Kong.
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said his office asked Interpol for help, calling it an unusual step for the city. “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. He said the process can be slow and paperwork heavy, and that the key is locating the suspect. “The hard parts are getting the paperwork in place and then finding the person,” he said.
Fatehi said cases involving intimate partners can be especially painful for families and investigators. “Every homicide is emotionally taxing,” he said, adding that killings involving partners can be difficult because the people involved supposedly care for each other. He did not discuss specific evidence in Guerra’s death, saying the case is pending. His office has said Varela is also charged federally with fleeing across state or federal lines to avoid arrest or prosecution, a move that can help widen the search.
In addition to the legal steps in the United States, the case touches on the complicated politics of extradition between the United States and Hong Kong. The United States moved in 2020 to suspend its extradition agreement with Hong Kong after tensions over the city’s new national security law and broader policy changes. That history means investigators may face extra hurdles even if Varela is located and detained, and officials have not laid out a timeline for what any return to Virginia could look like.
The Navy has confirmed Varela is an enlisted Navy reservist from Florida who is on active orders and working as an electrician, according to a statement carried in local reporting. The service said it is aware of the investigation involving the death of a Navy spouse in the Norfolk area and is cooperating with local, state and federal law enforcement. The Navy said NCIS is conducting a joint investigation with Norfolk police.
Family members told reporters they had grown suspicious during the time Guerra was missing because of messages they said they received from Varela. Relatives said he claimed Guerra had been arrested for shoplifting, a story they said did not make sense. They said he sent them a picture that appeared to show her in an orange jail jumpsuit and told them he was visiting her in custody. Local reporting later said court records showed no sign that Guerra had been charged with or convicted of shoplifting.
Relatives and friends described Guerra as warm and hardworking, and said she loved her three dogs. In one interview, a family member identified as Ramirez said Guerra was the “pillar” of the family and “very loved,” describing her as adventurous and humble. The family has also described Varela as controlling and jealous, saying he did not want Guerra to work, study, go out alone or keep friendships. Those claims have not been tested in court, and police have not publicly described any prior calls for service or protective orders in the case.
Investigators have not said when they believe Guerra died. Police have only confirmed the date she was found, the homicide ruling and the charges filed. Detectives also have not said whether they recovered weapons, surveillance footage or other evidence that could explain what happened inside the home. Officials have asked for patience, saying the investigation remains active and that releasing details could hurt the effort to locate the suspect and build a prosecution.
The timeline, as outlined by police statements and court filings described in media reports, shows a narrow window in early February when the case shifted from missing person to homicide. Guerra was reported missing on Feb. 4, Norfolk police said. The next day, detectives went to the home on East Main Street and found her dead. An autopsy on Feb. 10 ruled the death a homicide, and Varela was charged Feb. 12. Since then, investigators have been working across agencies and borders to determine where he went and whether he can be returned to Virginia.
Authorities have not released a description of Varela’s travel beyond saying they believe he flew to Hong Kong around Feb. 5. The steps now likely include confirming his location, working through international channels to request assistance and evaluating what legal mechanisms are available if he is found. Fatehi’s office has said the request to Interpol is part of that effort, providing a way to share information with police agencies in other countries.
For Guerra’s family, the waiting has stretched from weeks of not hearing from her into an open-ended search for answers and accountability. They have said they want Varela brought back to Norfolk to face the charges and for investigators to explain what happened. Friends have said the death has shaken them, and neighbors have described a quiet building that suddenly became a crime scene as police and investigators came and went.
As of Thursday, Varela remained at large, and officials said they had not released a motive or circumstances surrounding the homicide. Norfolk 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 19, 2026.