NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man accused of killing his wife after she was found dead in a freezer in a downtown Norfolk apartment is back in Virginia after fleeing to Hong Kong and had an initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.
Family: Man suspected of killing wife in custody after international search
David Varela, a 38-year-old Navy reservist accused of killing Lina Guerra, appeared in U.S. District Court in Norfolk before a magistrate. He faced a federal charge of flight to avoid prosecution, which is expected to be dismissed after he is transferred to Norfolk’s custody, according to court documents. He is still in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at this time.
Varela faces charges of first-degree murder and concealing a dead body.
Guerra’s family had reported her missing Feb. 5 and had not heard from her in more than two weeks when police found her dead. A relative had told 10 On Your Side the couple’s two-year marriage was violent, and Guerra had suffered bruises. An autopsy from the medical examiner determined the cause of her death to be a homicide…