A Tennessee man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after he fatally shot his ex-wife as she called 911 for help.
Craig Liner pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, first-degree murder in perpetration and aggravated burglary in connection with the death of Karen Liner on Monday, May 11.
After he entered his plea, Craig, 62, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
On January 27, 2025, Karen was in her garage at her home in Cleveland, Tennessee, when he snuck into her garage around 8:45 a.m. She quickly called 911 to report the intrusion and was heard telling him, “Get out of my driveway,” according to ABC9.
However, police weren’t able to respond in enough time and Craig fatally shot her while she was still on the call.
Once police reported to the scene, they evaluated Karen and pronounced her dead. Craig, who had fled the scene, was quickly identified as a suspect after investigators viewed surveillance footage that captured him driving to and from his ex-wife’s house in a silver Lincoln MKZ, according to Law & Crime.
Criag’s cousin spoke to authorities about the incident, saying that he saw Craig come home. Craig raised suspicions of his involvement in the incident when he said something along the lines of, “Well, it’s over” and “I finished it,” according to courtroom footage shared by WCLE.
The cousin added that he was “in shock,” though said he believed Craig had done something bad to his ex-wife.
The Liners were officially divorced in September 2024 and they shared two children together, according to reports.
Craig, who previously worked as a clinical pharmacist, was fired from his job one week before he fatally shot his ex-wife.
Following an investigation into the matter, Craig was eventually arrested and booked into jail in connection to the killing.
As the case went to court, the prosecution dropped the solicitation for first-degree murder charge that Craig was originally facing.
“This was a horrific crime and it is my sincere hope this brings a small measure of peace and closure to Karen Liner’s family, friends, and loved ones,” Stephen M. Hatchett, district attorney general for Tennessee’s Tenth Judicial District, said in a statement while announcing the sentencing.
Karen’s obituary stated that she was a local realtor and she “thrived” most while “finding people their dream home.”
“Karen’s generosity, kindness, and loyalty drew people to her, giving her a broad range of friends which enriched her life,” the obituary added. “Karen’s giving heart led her to work with many charitable organizations like Women United and Rotary International.”
