In the quiet suburban neighborhood of Kiln Creek in Newport News, Virginia, the life of 30-year-old Zacarias Uribes II came to a tragic end on October 10, 2014. A U.S. Marines veteran and a computer technician, he was found deceased inside his townhouse on Watson Drive. The events of that morning unfolded after the Mathews County Sheriff's Office relayed a call about a possible homicide to the Newport News police. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Mr.
Uribes on the floor near his front door.
The investigation quickly centered on his wife, Rose Marie Uribes, who was 29 at the time. After shooting her husband, she drove to a relative's home in Gloucester County and confessed to what she had done. That family member then contacted the authorities, leading to her arrest. Rose Uribes was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. She admitted to the killing, telling investigators she had shot her husband before calling a relative and then 911.
During the legal proceedings, a harrowing picture of Rose Uribes's deteriorating mental health in the weeks leading up to the shooting emerged. Her defense attorney and family described a period of intense paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions. She reportedly believed the souls of her husband and children had been taken and was tormented by voices and disturbing visions, such as a floating, legless girl on her staircase. Her family stated they had tried to get her help, noticing her suicidal thoughts and erratic behavior, which included a belief that she was reliving the same day over and over.
In a rare legal outcome, a Newport News Circuit Court judge found Rose Uribes not guilty by reason of insanity in April of the following year. Consequently, she was committed to Central State Hospital in Petersburg, a secure psychiatric facility for individuals found to be criminally insane. Friends and family of Zacarias Uribes II remembered him as a peaceful man, a devoted father, and a loving husband. He was buried with full military honors. His family expressed their view that the verdict did not represent appropriate justice for his senseless death.
