California woman admits to killing fire captain husband last year — decades after she was convicted of killing a different spouse

A California woman has pleaded guilty to murdering her fire captain spouse last year, decades after she was convicted in the fatal stabbing of her former husband.

Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi, 54, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in the death of her wife, Rebecca “Becky” Marodi, 49, a longtime California firefighter who was found fatally stabbed at the couple’s Ramona home in February 2025.

When asked by the judge how she pleaded to count 1, second-degree murder, Marodi said, “Guilty.”

As part of the plea, Marodi also admitted to having a prior serious felony conviction stemming from the 2000 stabbing death of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak.

She pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in that case in 2003 before her release in 2013, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Rebecca Marodi, a veteran Cal Fire captain, suffered multiple stab wounds during the Feb. 17, 2025 attack.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage captured her fleeing the home as Yolanda Marodi pursued her. Rebecca was found with several injuries to her neck, chest and back that authorities said were consistent with a stabbing.

Investigators later alleged that Marodi fled to Mexico after the killing, where she remained for more than a month before being arrested in Mexicali and returned to the United States.

Marodi had initially pleaded not guilty to Rebecca’s murder before changing her plea to guilty to second-degree murder.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 2.

Rebecca Marodi served more than 30 years with Cal Fire, mainly in Riverside County, starting as a volunteer in Moreno Valley.

Most recently, officials confirmed she helped battle the Eaton Fire.

CAL Fire Riverside acknowledged Rebecca Marodi’s death and said it is a “profound loss.”

“Her legacy of mentorship, service, and dedication will be felt for years to come. Her passing is a profound loss to her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside her,” the department wrote in a previous statement on their Facebook page.