Katherine Anne Freel, known as Kate, was 27 when she was killed in Williamsburg/York County, Virginia on September 6, 2015. Described as optimistic and devoted to her family, she left behind a 4-year-old son and a 5-month-old daughter. Her husband, Mark A. Freel Jr., a Petty Officer 1st Class in the U.S. Navy, later admitted that an argument the previous evening escalated. According to his confession, he felt belittled by her words and shot her with a Springfield XD-40 handgun in their home on Wichita Lane while the children were present.

At about 12:45 a.m. on September 6, Mark Freel called 911 and again confessed upon deputies’ arrival; he was taken into custody at the front door without resistance. Katherine was found deceased in the master bedroom; the children were unharmed and placed with Katherine’s family. Mark Freel was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and later pleaded guilty to those charges in May 2016. Does anyone have memories of Katherine or information about the family that could add to her story?