Woman convicted of fatally beating, strangling man she and her husband met at church

NORFOLK, Va. (TCN) -- A 45-year-old woman was recently convicted in the beating and strangulation death of a 45-year-old man who she and her husband met at church and invited to live with them.

The Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced that a jury found Kristie Lynch guilty on Sept. 12 of first-degree murder. Her sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 16, 2026.

The defendant’s husband, 52-year-old James Lynch, pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years.

According to prosecutors, Kristie Lynch and her husband met the victim, Jose Moreno, through church in 2022 and invited him to live with them because he had "nowhere to go." Moreno reportedly had a disability and used a walker. The commonwealth’s attorney’s office said he contributed financially to the home through his Supplemental Security Disability Income.

James Lynch purportedly said he and his wife physically "punished" Moreno multiple times "for not contributing to household chores due to his disability and for speaking in Spanish," his native language, around the couple. James Lynch said he had beaten Moreno over the head numerous times with a frying pan in the days leading to his death, but he didn’t take him to the hospital because he didn’t want to get arrested.

Authorities determined Moreno likely died on Aug. 9, 2023, "after the Lynches severely beat and strangled him using a number of household implements, including the frying pan, a belt, a baseball bat, and a dog leash." Moreno’s death wasn’t reported until Aug. 11, 2023, when the couple told a local pastor about it, and Kristie Lynch called police.

Norfolk Police responded to the home and discovered Moreno deceased and naked. His body was reportedly bruised and covered in lacerations. Officers observed ligature marks on his neck and blood spatter along the walls and floors of the residence, as well as missing sections of carpet, indicating that the defendants tried to clean the scene. An autopsy revealed Moreno died of strangulation and blunt force trauma.

According to prosecutors, Kristie Lynch said in an interview with authorities that on the day of Moreno’s death, she told her husband that the victim had "attacked and sexually assaulted her." She allegedly "challenged her husband to ‘man up,’ ‘grow a set,’ and ‘go take care of your boy.’"

James Lynch then reportedly went into the apartment and attacked Moreno, and when the victim tried to defend himself, James Lynch beat him with a frying pan.

According to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office, James Lynch said Moreno was "possessed with a demon-like strength and would not be subdued," so he retrieved a baseball bat and continued to attack the victim.

The couple reportedly used a belt to whip the victim and a dog leash to strangle him. Prosecutors noted that it is unknown why Moreno was naked, but James Lynch said he made the victim take a shower for the bleeding.

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