Killer Wife Strikes Again — Flees To Mexico

A California woman has pleaded guilty to killing her fire captain wife, and the case now carries the weight of a second spouse-killing conviction.

Quick Take

Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi pleaded guilty in San Diego County Superior Court to second-degree murder.
She admitted she used a knife in the killing of Rebecca Marodi, a 49-year-old California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection captain.
Authorities said the stabbing happened at the couple’s Ramona home on Feb. 17, 2025, after which she fled to Mexico.
Her guilty plea also includes a prior serious felony tied to the killing of her first husband more than 20 years ago.

Plea Locks in the Core Facts

Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi pleaded guilty Tuesday in San Diego County Superior Court to second-degree murder in the death of her wife, Rebecca Marodi. Prosecutors said she also admitted using a knife in the killing. The plea ended the murder charge without a trial, but it did not erase the broader picture already drawn by investigators and reporting. Rebecca Marodi was 49 and worked as a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection captain.

The killing took place at the couple’s Ramona home on Feb. 17, 2025, according to multiple reports. Local coverage says Rebecca Marodi suffered multiple stab wounds and died at the scene. Reports also say Yolanda Marodi fled to Mexico after the killing and was later arrested there before being returned to the United States. That flight matters because it adds to the sense that investigators were building a case around more than one source of evidence.

What Investigators Said They Had

Public reporting says the prosecution’s case included Ring camera footage and witness testimony. ABC 7 reported that the video showed Yolanda Marodi chasing Rebecca Marodi while Rebecca pleaded for help. That kind of evidence matters because it gives the plea more context than a bare courtroom admission. It also helps explain why the case moved from a charged murder allegation toward a guilty plea before trial, even though the full hearing transcript was not included in the available record.

A Second Killing Shapes How This Case Reads

The plea carries added weight because Marodi’s admission also includes a prior serious felony tied to the stabbing death of her first husband more than 20 years ago. News reports say she had previously served prison time after a voluntary manslaughter conviction in that case. That history will shape how many people read this story. It does not change the current plea, but it does deepen public concern about how a violent past can sit in plain view until another tragedy makes it impossible to ignore.

Yolanda Marodi, accused of killing her wife in Ramona, changes plea to guilty. Deputy District Attorneys Maura Duffey and Jared Coleman prosecuted this case for the People.
https://t.co/mnS6f22SOM

— San Diego Deputy DAs (@SanDiegoDDAs) August 7, 2026

The broader lesson is less about one courtroom and more about how the justice system often reaches closure through guilty pleas rather than full trials. That can be efficient, but it also leaves the public with a thinner record than it would get from days of open testimony. In this case, the reported plea is clear, but the full agreement, the exact factual basis, and the underlying exhibits were not included in the material provided here.