PITTSYLVANIA CO., Va. – The Danville Police Department and Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that it had arrested two individuals and charged them with murder in connection with a missing persons case.
According to officials, investigators had been actively investigating the disappearance of 60-year-old Debbie Ann Marrero, who was reported missing in November of 2025.
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On Tuesday, the Danville Police Department received information from the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office regarding a possible lead in the case. Acting on that information, investigators from the Danville Police Department and the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office collectively conducted a search for a suspected location in the southeastern section of Pittsylvania County that may lead investigators to Marrero’s whereabouts.
During the course of the investigation and based on information obtained through investigative interviews, authorities located and recovered the body of Marrero in the 1600 block of Mountain Hill Road.
Officials said that the body has been transported to the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Roanoke, where an autopsy will be conducted to determine the manner of death.
As a result of the investigation, two individuals were arrested and charged with the murder of Marrero:
- Deborah Lynn Hurd, 63, of Danville
- David Thomas Gunnell, 61, of Danville
Both individuals are currently being held without bond pending their first court appearance.
This investigation remains active and ongoing. Additional information will be released as it becomes available. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Danville Police Department Investigations Division or the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. Our thoughts are with the family of Ms. Marrero.