A Norfolk jury convicted Kristie Lynch, 46, of first-degree murder in September 2025 for killing her disabled lodger, Jose Moreno, 45. On Friday, Norfolk Circuit Court Judge David Lannetti sentenced her to 25 years in prison, matching the term her husband James Lynch, 53, received for his role in the crime. Prosecutors described the attack as one of the most heinous murders imaginable.
Jose Moreno met the Lynches at their church in 2022 and moved into their Mariner's Way apartment after they offered him a place to stay. The 45-year-old, who used a walker due to a physical disability, paid rent from his Supplemental Security Disability Income and handled household chores. Authorities said the couple physically punished him for late rent payments, incomplete chores, and speaking Spanish on the phone to his family, sometimes taking away his phone after beatings. James Lynch admitted to repeated punishments leading up to the fatal incident on August 9, 2023, when he struck Moreno's head with a frying pan, followed by blows from a baseball bat and strangulation using a belt and dog leash. He refused to seek medical help for the victim to avoid arrest. Kristie Lynch claimed Moreno assaulted her first, urging her husband to 'man up' and intervene. James Lynch described Moreno as having 'demon'-like strength despite his disability and size disadvantage. The couple left the body in their apartment for two days before calling 911 after consulting a pastor. Police found Moreno naked at the bottom of a staircase, covered in bruises, cuts, and neck ligature marks. An autopsy confirmed death by strangulation and blunt force trauma, with blood spatter throughout the kitchen, walls, floors, and stairwell. During sentencing, Senior Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Emily Woodley called it 'one of the most heinous ways to murder someone.' Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi stated the prolonged beating and strangling of a disabled man they claimed to help was 'truly shocking.' Kristie Lynch maintained she did not participate and cited personal hardships, telling the court, 'I hope someday that they [Moreno's family] can find it in their heart to forgive me.'