Shivangi Sinha
In August 2015, a maintenance worker at a townhome complex in Severn, Maryland, discovered the remains of Karlyn Ramirez. Investigators initially focused on her husband, US Army Sergeant Maliek Kearney, but he appeared to have a convincing alibi, supported by digital evidence that placed him elsewhere at the time. As the investigation continued, detectives uncovered signs that another individual had been involved. That trail ultimately led back to Kearney himself, revealing that his apparent alibi masked a larger plot. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Alibi’ explores the twists of the investigation and the evidence that exposed the truth and led to the arrests.
Maliek Kearney Seemed to be Fully Cooperative After His Wife’s Death
Maliek Kearney served in the US Army as a chemical specialist and was regarded as a committed service member. By 2013, he had completed four combat deployments, three of them in Iraq. Around 2007, he met fellow service member Dolores Delgado, with whom he developed a close but largely casual romantic relationship rooted in friendship. In 2013, while stationed in South Korea, Kearney met Karlyn Ramirez, and the two quickly fell in love. They envisioned building a life and family together, a dream that came true with the birth of their daughter, Kattaleya Vale Kearney, on April 23, 2015.
As they began building their family, the couple returned to the US but were stationed separately. Karlyn was at Fort Meade in Maryland, and Maliek was stationed at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. They married in July 2015 and committed to making their long-distance marriage work. By all outward appearances, things seemed stable. On August 25, 2015, when Karlyn’s body was discovered in her Severn, Maryland, townhome, Maliek was immediately questioned, as is routine in such cases. He was visibly emotional, repeatedly stating that he loved his wife and that there were no problems between them. He told investigators he had been at home, streaming Netflix and using his phone at the time.
In an effort to cooperate fully with investigators, he even turned over his phone so his cellular data could be examined. The records showed his phone was in South Carolina at the time Karlyn was killed, while their three-month-old daughter was found unharmed beside her. Neighbors also confirmed that his car had not left his residence that night. Although suspicion lingered briefly, questions remained. Karlyn’s family and friends later claimed the marriage had been troubled and that she had been considering divorce. Maliek, however, insisted everything between them was fine and denied having an affair. As police pursued other leads, a breakthrough came when they reviewed her recent contacts, and the name of Delgado surfaced.
Maliek Kearney’s Digital Alibi Had Been Falsely Created by Dolores Delgado
Police then questioned Dolores Delgado, who denied any role in the murder and claimed that Maliek had been with her on the night of the crime. This immediately raised red flags, since Maliek had told investigators he was alone, and detectives could not understand why he would withhold the name of someone who could support his alibi. Phone data from both devices was analyzed. While Maliek had deleted most of the messages, the conversations remained on Dolores’ phone, revealing that the two had maintained an ongoing relationship. Investigators also learned that Dolores had provided the handgun, her car, an extra can of gas, and other supplies.
Using these, Maliek traveled to Maryland and killed his wife. She had also been able to keep his phone active and help him with setting up his digital alibi. In fact, when the police reviewed his first interrogation, they noticed that he never asked how his wife had passed away. The weapon was later recovered and positively identified. On October 6, 2016, Maliek was arrested in San Antonio, Texas, where he had relocated to be closer to his daughter.
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Maliek Kearney is in Federal Custody in Louisiana Today
Maliek Kearney was federally charged with interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in death, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Dolores Delgado later agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against him. His trial began in August 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. The defense argued that Kearney was being framed, claiming that Delgado was the true perpetrator, pointing to the fact that the gun belonged to her and that her former boyfriend had disposed of the weapon.
The jury rejected this version of events. Thus, Maliek was convicted on all counts, and in November 2018, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with an additional 10-year term. He was also ordered to pay $492,800 in restitution to Karlyn’s family. He is currently serving his sentence at the United States Penitentiary in Pollock, located in unincorporated Grant Parish, Louisiana, and is now 44 years old.
