NORFOLK, Va. — A woman who helped her husband kill their disabled roommate in 2023 has been sentenced after being convicted of first-degree murder.
46-year-old Kristie Lynch was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with an additional 25 years suspended. After her release, she will be on probation for 25 years. Her sentence was determined during a trial since she rejected a plea agreement.
Her husband, 52-year-old James Lynch, did accept the plea deal. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The married couple was arrested after Norfolk police found 45-year-old Jose Moreno naked, covered in cuts, with strangulation marks around his neck, and beaten to death in August 2023. An autopsy showed Moreno died from a combination of strangulation and blunt-force trauma.
The exact time of death is unclear, but investigators believe Moreno died on Aug. 9, 2023, after he was severely beaten and strangled with various household items, including a frying pan, a belt, a baseball bat and a dog leash. The Lynches did not report his death until Aug. 11, when they told a local pastor that Moreno was dead inside their home. The pastor instructed them to call police, which Kristie Lynch did.
According to statements given to police, the Lynches said they met Moreno through church and, in 2022, invited him to live with them at their Mariner’s Way apartment because he had “nowhere to go.” Moreno had a disability that caused weakness in his ankles, required him to use a walker, and received Supplemental Security Disability Income, which he contributed to the household finances.
James Lynch told police the couple had physically punished Moreno on several occasions for failing to complete household chores due to his disability and for speaking Spanish — which was his native language — in their presence.
Prosecutors say in the days leading up to Moreno’s death, Kristie Lynch repeatedly struck him on the head with a frying pan, according to investigators. Her husband said he did not take Moreno to the hospital because he feared being arrested.
Investigators found blood spatter throughout the apartment and evidence, such as missing sections of carpet, indicating the Lynches tried to clean blood from the second floor. The Lynches were detained by police following the investigation.
Kristie Lynch told investigators that, on the day of the murder, she accused Moreno of attacking and sexually assaulting her. She said she then instructed her husband to “go take care of your boy.”
According to James Lynch, Moreno tried to kick and fight him off. Moreno was then beaten with a frying pan. James Lynch said his disabled roommate displayed "demon"-like strength, prosecutors say. For reference, James Lynch is 6'4" and weighed over 300 pounds at the time; Moreno was 5'7" and weighed around 130 pounds.
Investigators say evidence indicated the couple used Lynch’s belt to whip Moreno and a dog leash to strangle him. It is unclear why Moreno was left naked, but James Lynch claimed he made Moreno shower due to his injuries.
The Lynches were initially charged with second-degree murder and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office later secured indictments for first-degree murder against them. In May 2025, James Lynch accepted an agreement to plead guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced on Aug. 29. Kristie Lynch rejected the plea deal and opted for her case to go to trial.
“The sentencing of Mrs. Lynch completes a heartbreaking chapter in the life of the Moreno family. I am very sorry for them,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. and Mrs. Lynch had suffered abuse and adverse experiences in their own lives, but instead of using those experiences to show compassion to Mr. Moreno in his time of need, they victimized him and made him suffer before he died. They had no excuse, and now they must pay their price, both for what they have done and to protect our community from further harm at their hands.”
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
