Californian Woman Who Killed a Previous Spouse Admits to Murdering Wife
Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi faces up to 36 years to life in prison after she confessed to murdering her wife, Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi.
A California woman confessed to murdering her wife, a fire department captain, at their San Diego County home in February. She previously served 11 years in prison for killing her then-husband.
On Tuesday, Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi, 54, admitted to stabbing and killing Rebecca Marodi, 49, according to Tanya Sierra, spokesperson for the San Diego County district attorney’s office, the LA Times reports.
Olejniczak Marodi pled guilty to second-degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced September 2. She faces up to 36 years to life in prison.
Olejniczak Marodi was sentenced in 2004 to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak, the Times reports. Olejniczak Marodi served time in prison from 2004 until 2013.
Olejniczak Marodi was arrested in March in Mexico after fleeing across the border after authorities say she stabbed Rebecca Marodi, a decorated fire captain, on February 17. Authorities captured Marodi at a hotel in Mexicali, just a few miles from the U.S. border, and handed her over to U.S. officials.
Rebecca Marodi was found stabbed to death at the couple’s home in Ramona, California, by her mother. The attack was partially caught on home security footage, which recorded Rebecca Marodi pleading for her life.
Rebecca Marodi’s mother, who lived with the couple, called 911 after hearing the attack via the live Ring camera feed. Despite the arrival of first responders, Rebecca Marodi was declared dead at the scene with multiple stab wounds, including severe injuries to her neck, chest, and abdomen.
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Immediately after the murder, Olejniczak Marodi was seen on security footage changing clothes, loading luggage and pets into her silver Chevrolet Equinox, and fleeing the scene. That same night, she crossed into Mexico, initiating a month-long international manhunt led by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Marshals.
Authorities in Baja California worked closely with their American counterparts to track Marodi down. On March 23, Mexican law enforcement located her at a hotel in Mexicali and transferred her into U.S. custody at a nearby port of entry.
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According to Rebecca Marodi’s ex-wife, Lilia Phleger, Rebecca Marodi displayed controlling and jealous behavior in relationships.
“It was a typical toxic relationship,” Phleger told CBS News. “Yolanda was very jealous and did not want Becky to maintain friendships with other women.”
In addition to being a decorated firefighter, Rebecca Marodi was a mentor, a leader, and a beloved member of her community, according to local media. She began her career as a volunteer firefighter in 1993 and worked her way through the ranks, becoming a captain in 2022. She was stationed at various firehouses across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
