Missing woman's body found in freezer, FBI says her Navy husband flew to Hong Kong

NORFOLK, Va. -- Lina Guerra, the 39-year-old Virginia woman reported missing at the beginning of February, was discovered by Norfolk police in the kitchen freezer after her husband, 38-year-old David Varela, allegedly killed her, according to an affidavit from the FBI.

Police also say Varela flew to Hong Kong on Feb. 5, the day after Guerra was reported missing.

Norfolk Police are working with NCIS, Homeland Security and the FBI in the search for Varela, who is a reservist on active duty with the U.S. Navy. Authorities have not reached him since his departure.

Speaking with WTKR Wednesday through a translator, Paola Ramirez, who is married to Guerra's brother and lives in Colombia, said Varela was a jealous husband.

Guerra's family reported her missing after not hearing from her for two weeks. Varela told her family in Colombia, South America that Guerra was arrested and imprisoned on shoplifting charges.

They said he even sent him a picture of them together and said he was him visiting her in jail. In the picture sent to Guerra's family by Varela, she appears to be wearing an orange jumpsuit.

In the messages shared with WTKR, Varela tells Paola that he has not stopped crying and hasn't eaten in more than a day due to his wife's incarceration.

Court records confirmed that Guerra was never charged with or convicted of this shoplifting crime.

The family says Varela was jealous, wouldn't let her work, wouldn't let her have friends, wouldn't let her study and wouldn't let her go out alone.

"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. He appeared to be very religious, very calm, normal, that's why this is so shocking; we never imagined he'd do something like this."

Guerra's family says she was empathetic, loving, and always worried about others.

"Lina was the pillar of our family," Ramirez said. "She put others above herself. She was very loved and adventurous, hardworking, very humble."

Varela has been charged with first-degree murder and concealing a dead body, police say.

Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi is seeking to extradite Varela back to the U.S. to face the charges.

According to the U.S. Navy, David Varela is an enlisted Navy reservist from Florida currently on active orders and working as an electrician.

He has more than a decade of military service, having enlisted in 2007 but taking a 5-year break between 2012 and 2017.

The U.S. Navy issued the following statement: "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. NCIS [Navy Criminal Investigative Service] is conducting a joint investigation with Norfolk Police Department."

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