Overview
- Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi pleaded guilty to second‑degree murder in San Diego County on Tuesday after prosecutors agreed to reduce the original first‑degree charge.
- Court documents and testimony describe home security footage that showed Rebecca “Becky” Marodi fleeing across a patio while her wife chased her, with the victim heard saying, “I don’t want to die,” and the defendant appearing to hold a knife.
- Hours after the Feb. 17, 2025 killing, Marodi crossed into Mexico and was arrested roughly a month later in Mexicali before being returned to U.S. custody.
- Her plea includes an admission of a prior serious felony: a 2003 voluntary manslaughter conviction for the fatal stabbing of her then‑husband, which increases her potential sentence.
- Rebecca Marodi served more than 30 years with Cal Fire and her death has deeply affected colleagues and family, with sentencing on Sept. 2 set to close the criminal case but not the community’s loss.