Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Alibi’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the primary focus is on the horrific murder of a private first-class soldier and mother named Karlyn Ramirez in August 2015. After conducting a thorough investigation, the detectives uncovered a series of shocking truths that led them to a plot hatched by the perpetrator (s) responsible for the crime. The documentary also features exclusive and insightful interviews with Karlyn’s loved ones and the officials linked to the investigation.
Karlyn Ramirez Was Found Dead in Her Off-Post Residence in Maryland
Born on April 10, 1991, in Beeville, Texas, to Jesus and Susan Garcia Ramirez, Karlyn Serane Ramirez Kearney grew up in Del Rio, Texas, alongside her two brothers, Jesus Ramirez Jr. and Jesus David Ramirez, and three sisters, Laura Torres, Grace Penelope Ramirez, and Roxanna Ramirez. Besides excelling at Comstock High School, she was also active in various outdoor activities and sports, including bull riding, deer hunting, rodeo, and more. Karlyn was also known for her melodic voice, as she sang whenever she got the opportunity. After graduating from college, she initially pursued a career in nursing before transitioning to criminal justice.
At the age of 22, she enlisted in the US Army and was stationed in South Korea during her first year. There, she began dating Sergeant Maliek Kearney, with whom she worked out and went running regularly. Not long after, the couple got engaged and became pregnant with a child. While she was transferred to Fort Meade, Maryland, Maliek was transferred to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he trained recruits. On April 23, 2015, the two welcomed their daughter, Kattaleya Vale Kearny, to the world, before tying the knot and making their relationship official in the eyes of the law three months later.
While she was stationed in Maryland, Karlyn lived with her daughter and regularly talked with her mother. However, on August 25, 2015, when Karlyn didn’t answer Susan’s calls, her family became concerned. Their worst nightmare came true when they were visited by the army casualty notification team, who informed them that 24-year-old Karlyn had been killed in her off-post residence in Severn, Maryland. When the authorities reached the Maryland property, they found her four-month-old daughter still alive but placed in the deceased woman’s arms. The autopsy report revealed that she died of three fatal gunshot wounds, with her estimated time of death being late evening hours of August 24. A homicide investigation was immediately launched in order to get to the bottom of the case.
The Killer Created an Electronic Alibi With the Help of an Accomplice
Since Karlyn Ramirez was married to Maliek Kearney, the authorities traveled to South Carolina, where they interviewed him the day after the murder. He appeared distraught and claimed that he went about his day and stayed at his apartment after leaving work at 2 pm on August 24, 2015. He told the detectives that he reported for duty the following morning. In order to verify his alibi, they not only took his DNA sample but also searched his residence, car, and phone records. Although there was friction between the couple as Karlyn reportedly planned to divorce Maliek, he was let go by the police due to a lack of evidence. They also learned that at the time of her death, the couple lived separately, and Karlyn had also obtained a protective order against Maliek.
As the detectives dug deeper into his cell phone records, they discovered that he had been in constant contact with another former female soldier, Dolores Delgado. When her phone records were searched, they found out that she was in Maliek’s South Carolina apartment complex during the time of the murder. In March 2016, armed with several questions, the investigators interviewed Dolores, who admitted to being at Maliek’s house on the fateful night. She told them that she was in the living room while he went to bed. She also confessed to having an affair with him for several years, something that Maliek had lied about in his interview. She claimed she knew little about firearms, which authorities later determined was false. Her cell phone records proved that she had purchased a Taurus 357 revolver, which matched the caliber of gun that was used to kill Karlyn.
She had also reportedly put a box of .38 caliber ammunition up for sale on her Facebook account. After reviewing all the evidence against Dolores and Maliek, the authorities theorized that on the afternoon of August 24, 2015, Maliek traveled to Severn, Maryland, in Dolores’ car while Dolores stayed in his house to create an electronic alibi for him by using his phone and streaming services. According to prosecutors, Maliek then ambushed his estranged wife at her townhouse with the gun Dolores provided him. Per court records, it was argued that despite her alleged attempts to calm him down, he shot her three times at close range and placed their 4-month-old daughter in her arms before fleeing the scene. Nearly 13 months after the murder, both Maliek and Dolores were arrested in San Antonio, Texas, and charged with interstate travel for the purpose of domestic violence resulting in the death of Karlyn.
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The Killer and Accomplice Were Brought to Justice For Their Involvement in the Crime
It turned out that Dolores Delgado reached out to her former boyfriend in order to get rid of the murder weapon and shell casings at a waterway in Merritt Island, Florida, and burned some clothing and sneakers. Eventually, the dismantled revolver was recovered from the bottom of the water body by law enforcement divers, and it was determined to be the gun used to kill Karlyn Ramirez. In August 2018, Maliek finally stood trial for the murder charge. During his 11-day trial, the prosecution presented a series of incriminating evidence against him, including the suspicious texts he shared with Dolores.
They also brought Dolores to the stand. She told the jurors that she provided him with the gun, her car, and the electronic alibi. Meanwhile, the defense argued that the prosecution had not proved anything and put the blame on Dolores instead, claiming that she was solely responsible for the murder. Ultimately, on August 8, 2018, the jury found Maliek guilty of the charges against him. The following month, on September 7, Dolores was sentenced to 17 years in prison, in addition to 5 years of supervised release, for her part in the crime. A couple of months later, in November, Maliek was sentenced to life in prison, plus another 10 years, without the possibility of parole. He was also ordered to pay $492,800 in restitution to the Ramirez family.
