NORFOLK, Va. — More than two months after Norfolk Navy reservist David Varela fled the U.S., he was arrested in Hong Kong and extradited to the U.S. to face charges in the murder of his wife, 39-year-old Lina Guerra.
Guerra's body was found in the freezer of their apartment in the Icon building in early February around the same time Varela, 38, was on a plane halfway across the world. Varela's arrest was confirmed first by WTKR News 3 on Wednesday, April 15 about 10 weeks after he reportedly fled.
His arrest was made a day after WTKR ran a report about how we reached him by phone in a video call days the previous Friday. We received a tip about Varela's apparent whereabouts after two Russian women had met him at a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Investigative reporter Margaret Kavanagh then called a number for Varela provided by the women, who said he was romantically interested in one of them.
Watch our previous episode about how we found Varela and called him in Hong Kong
But then they had a suspicion about him and looked him up online, discovering the accusations from WTKR's reporting, and reached out to us.
While the exact circumstances of Varela's arrest are not yet known — given the shaky relationship between the U.S. and China and the lack of an extradition treaty — we believe the bravery of these women played a critical role.
After his arrest, Varela was flown to San Francisco to face a federal charge of fleeing to avoid prosecution. He's then expected back in Norfolk this week before hearings begin in Lina's murder trial. By then, it had made international headlines — including in major U.S. outlets and Hong Kong media.
In this episode of True Crime 757, Margaret and Jon discuss the arrest, the role of our reporting, and what to expect next as the case unfolds.
Watch our previous episode about the investigation into Lina's murder
True Crime 757 is sponsored by Korslund Law
