NORFOLK, VA – Federal authorities have launched an international manhunt for a Navy reservist charged with first-degree murder after his wife’s body was discovered in their apartment freezer, with investigators believing he may have fled to China.
David Varela, 38, was charged February 12 with killing his wife Lina Guerra, 39, after Norfolk police found her body during a welfare check at their Norfolk apartment. Guerra had been reported missing February 4 when family members could not reach the couple for several weeks.
According to a federal affidavit obtained by WAVY-TV, police initially treated Guerra’s death as undetermined until a medical examiner ruled it a homicide on February 10. The discovery came after Varela’s Navy reserve supervisor told detectives that Varela had failed to respond to multiple calls and missed required duty, which was described as unusual behavior.
Emergency data requests from WhatsApp revealed location pings from Varela’s phone in Hong Kong, despite investigators saying he has no known ties to the region. Police found Guerra’s phone and Varela’s Tesla still at their Norfolk residence, but Varela was nowhere to be found.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service confirmed in a statement that while Varela has family in Colombia, he “does not have any discernible ties to Hong Kong or China” and has failed to report for duty as required.
Varela’s potential flight to Hong Kong significantly complicates extradition efforts. The United States suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in 2020 over concerns that the Chinese Communist Party was undermining the territory’s autonomy.
“If you needed to buy yourself some time to where law enforcement was not going to be looking for you, this was a way to do it,” legal analyst Ed Booth told 13 News Now regarding the jurisdictional challenges.
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said local authorities are coordinating with Interpol to locate and apprehend Varela. The case marks a rare instance of an alleged domestic violence suspect potentially fleeing to a jurisdiction without U.S. extradition agreements.
The investigation remains active as federal and international law enforcement agencies work to track Varela’s movements and secure his return to face murder charges in Virginia.
