Navy reservist accused of murdering wife, hiding body in freezer captured oversees
NORFOLK, Va. - An international manhunt led to the capture of a Navy reservist who fled the country after allegedly killing his wife in Virginia this past February.
What we know:
The FBI announced on Wednesday that 38-year-old David Varela was apprehended oversees after being on the run for more than two months.
Varela was wanted for first-degree murder in connection to the death of his wife, 39-year-old Lina Maria Guerra, whose body was found inside a kitchen freezer at their Norfolk home on February 5.
He is expected to be extradited to the United States, according to FOX News.
What we don't know:
Officials did not specify where Varela was captured. However, it is believed that he fled to Hong Kong when he fled the United States on the same day his wife's body was discovered.
Navy reservist accused of murdering wife believed to have fled to Hong Kong
A Navy reservist on active duty is accused of murdering his wife in Virginia before fleeing to Hong Kong, according to the FBI.
The backstory:
Guerra had been reported missing by her brother after he had not heard from her for more than two weeks. Detectives had also been unable to reach Varela, and his Navy supervisor told police it was unusual for him not to return calls.
After her death was ruled a homicide, an investigation led authorities to issue two arrest warrants charging Varela with concealing a dead body to prevent detection and first-degree murder.
Homeland Security determined that Varela took a flight to Hong Kong, while emergency disclosure requests from WhatsApp showed location information originating from there.
Varela has family in Colombia, but no known ties to Hong Kong or China, according to an affidavit.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the FBI, FOX News and previous reporting by FOX 5 DC.