‘Dateline: The Alibi’ details the death of Pfc. Karlyn Ramirez, 24, was slain in August 2015 in Maryland. The Dateline program features interviews by NBC News’ Andrea Canning of key players in the case, including the investigators and prosecutors, Ramirez’s friends, and her mother, Susan Garcia-Ramirez of Del Rio. If you’re interested in finding out what happened, including the alleged killer’s identity, we’ve your back. Let’s begin then, shall we?
Who is Maliek Kearney?
Karlyn Serane Ramirez Kearney grew up in Del Rio, Texas. She was 22 when she enlisted in the U.S. Army and became an information technology specialist. She was stationed in South Korea when she met Sgt. Maliek Kearney in 2013. The 32-year-old handsome and confident sergeant, a chemical weapons specialist, had served four tours of duty, including three in Iraq. FBI Special Agent Jonathan Shaffer stated, “He earned several awards and was well thought of by his colleagues in the military and he took great pride in his military service.”
Karlyn’s sister, Roxanna Ramirez, recalled how Karlyn “fell completely head over heels” for the “confident, good-looking older man”, and the feelings were mutual. Karlyn’s mother, Susan Garcia-Ramirez, recalled, “They worked out together and they ran. They were very competitive.” Months into their dating, the couple got engaged after discovering they were expecting a baby. One of Karlyn’s friends recounted, “That was like one of her dreams, that she always wanted to have her own child.”
However, their life plans hit a bump when Karlyn was transferred to Fort Meade, Maryland, where she worked in top secret intelligence. Maliek returned from one of his military tours and was assigned to Fort Jackson in South Carolina, about 500 miles away. Karlyn gave birth to a baby girl on April 23, 2015, and Maliek barely made it to the hospital in time to be with her during the delivery. Three months later, the couple married and continued to navigate the challenges of a long-distance relationship.
Three months after the baby was born, Karlyn and Kearney got married but were still stationed states apart. Karlyn continued to juggle her responsibilities at home and work until she was found dead on August 25, 2015. The police discovered she had been shot thrice, though her four-month-old daughter was left unharmed. Investigators also learned that Karlyn had a brief relationship with another solider before she got married, but Kearney insisted he had forgiven her.
Kearney volunteered his bank records, gave police his DNA, and gave permission for them to search his apartment and car. “Right away we talked to neighbors in his apartment building. They said that his car never left,” Harding revealed. Karlyn’s fling at work had also been cooperative, providing his phone to investigators which confirmed he hadn’t been at her townhome when she was killed.
Where is Maliek Kearney Now?
Delgado’s bank records showed she had purchased two gas cans at a Florida Home Depot not long before the murder. The evidence was compelling. Investigators believed that on the night of the killing, Kearney had traveled to Maryland to kill his wife using Delgado’s car. He used the two gas tanks so that he wouldn’t have to make any stops along the way. Delgado had stayed behind at his apartment with his phone, establishing his alibi and using his Netflix account.
“He had a lot of time along the way to say, ‘Never mind. You know what, what am I doing? This is crazy.’ Driving eight hours by yourself with your own thoughts in the car, you have a lot of time to change your mind. He was determined,” Harding told Canning. Delgado and Kearney were arrested 13 months after Karlyn’s death. “I didn’t know anything about her,” Susan said of Kearney’s surprising accomplice. “She was no one. No one to me.”
Although the pieces of the dismantled gun were badly damaged by the water, an FBI firearms expert was able to restore the serial number on the gun and match it to the gun Delgado had purchased. With the evidence mounting against her, Delgado agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against Kearney. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Warwick told “Dateline: Secrets Uncovered” they believe Kearney killed his wife because she was planning to leave him.
“He was used to getting what he wanted,” Warwick said. “Relationships could end with Maliek Kearney, but they had to end on his terms.” Kearney’s defense team tried to point the finger back at Delgado, but a jury would end up siding with prosecutors and Kearney was convicted and sentenced to life in prison plus ten years. Delgado received 17 years for her role in the crime. “We are, at this point, the constant in her life,” Susan said. “We want her to feel protected, loved, everything that I know her mom would have given her.”
Read More: Karlyn Ramirez Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?