Navy Reservist Accused of Killing Wife and Hiding Her in Freezer Before Escaping to Hong Kong

Navy Reservist Allegedly Kills Wife, Flees to Hong Kong

A Navy reservist is accused of killing his wife, placing her body in a freezer at their home in Norfolk, Virginia, and then escaping to Hong Kong, according to authorities.

Lina Guerra, 39, was reported missing on February 4. Reports indicate that her husband, David Barrera, 38, is the primary suspect in her death. Barrera has been charged with first-degree murder, as cited in a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) affidavit.

Guerra was reported missing by her brother after there was no contact for two weeks. When detectives couldn’t reach either Guerra or Barrera, police executed a search warrant at their home. Inside, they discovered an unidentified woman’s body in a freezer, later identified as Guerra through preliminary fingerprint analysis.

WAVY noted that Guerra’s cell phone and Barrera’s Tesla were located at their residence. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner officially ruled her death a homicide on February 10.

After the discovery of Guerra’s body, police coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and the FBI. They found that Barrera had boarded a flight to Hong Kong the day after Guerra was reported missing. An emergency information request from WhatsApp indicated he was in Hong Kong shortly after.

Reportedly, Barrera told Guerra’s family in Colombia that she had been arrested for shoplifting, but there are no records suggesting she faced such charges.

Guerra’s sister-in-law, Paola Ramirez, expressed her disbelief over the situation. She mentioned that there had been prior instances of violence from Barrera towards Guerra, although Guerra had kept that from her family to avoid worrying them. “He seemed like a normal person,” Ramirez said, highlighting the shock of the situation.

Ramirez also reflected on Guerra, calling her the family’s “pillar”—describing her as loving, hardworking, humble, and adventurous.

Barrera faces charges not only of first-degree murder but also of concealing a corpse. The affidavit suggests he fled the U.S. to escape prosecution.

Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi is reportedly seeking Barrera’s extradition to face his charges. NCIS confirmed Barrera is an active-duty Navy reservist, indicating he has no connections to Hong Kong and is currently off-duty.