In Tennessee, Craig Liner pleaded guilty in the death of Karen Liner, a Cleveland real estate agent killed while calling 911.

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — A Tennessee man was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing his ex-wife outside her Cleveland home as she called 911 and told him to leave her driveway, authorities said.

Charlton Craig Liner, 62, entered guilty pleas in Bradley County Circuit Court to first-degree murder, felony murder and aggravated burglary in the January 2025 death of Karen Liner, 51. The plea ended the murder case before a scheduled trial and moved the case from a pending courtroom fight to a life sentence. Prosecutors said Liner will not be eligible for parole for 51 years, making the punishment likely to keep him in prison for the rest of his life.

The killing began as an emergency call from Karen Liner’s home at 135 Arthur Lane on the morning of Jan. 27, 2025. Police said dispatchers heard her tell Craig Liner to get out of her driveway before the call turned into the sound of gunfire. She also could be heard pleading with him by name, saying, “Please stop, Craig, please stop.” Moments later, investigators said, multiple shots were fired. Officers were sent to the home, where Karen Liner was found wounded. The case quickly centered on her ex-husband, who had been divorced from her for only a few months. District Attorney General Stephen Hatchett said after the plea that the crime was horrific and that he hoped the sentence brought “a small measure of peace and closure” to Karen Liner’s relatives and friends.

Investigators built the case around the 911 recording, nearby surveillance video and statements they said Craig Liner made after the shooting. Cleveland police Detective Don Nation testified during an earlier hearing that video from a neighbor’s security camera showed a car arriving at Karen Liner’s home before the shooting. Prosecutors said Craig Liner approached the home and fired in broad daylight. Nation testified that the video appeared to show him walking away, getting into a white sedan, then returning and firing at least one more shot. Police also said Liner later went to another person’s home carrying three guns. According to court records described in the case, he made a statement to the effect that the killing was done and that he had killed her. Authorities have not said publicly that the 911 call captured every movement outside the home, and they have not released a full public account of all forensic findings.

Karen Liner was known in Cleveland as a real estate agent and as a mother of two. Reports on the case said she had worked as a nurse before moving into real estate. Her obituary remembered her for generosity, kindness and loyalty, and said she supported charitable organizations. The Liners’ divorce was finalized in September 2024, about four months before the shooting. Craig Liner had worked as a clinical pharmacist, according to reports on the case, and was fired from his job about a week before the killing. Those details became part of the public timeline but were not presented by officials as a complete explanation for the crime. The home on Arthur Lane became the center of a case that mixed a family breakup, a recorded plea for help and a killing that unfolded before police could arrive.

The guilty plea spared Karen Liner’s family from a murder trial that was expected to revisit the 911 call, surveillance footage and witness testimony in open court. Cleveland Police Chief Mark Gibson said he was relieved the plea kept the family from having to sit through a trial. The sentence was life with the possibility of parole, but the 51-year minimum means Liner would be more than 110 years old before any chance of release if the sentence is served as described by authorities. Prosecutors dropped or resolved some matters as part of the court process, but Craig Liner still faces separate allegations tied to events after his arrest. Authorities said that while jailed, he was accused of trying to arrange the killing of his former mother-in-law. That case is separate from the murder conviction and remains a pending matter unless resolved in court.

The murder-for-hire allegation added another layer to a case already marked by the 911 call. Investigators said a fellow inmate told authorities Craig Liner had discussed wanting his ex-mother-in-law killed and allegedly offered property, including a vehicle and boat, in exchange. Reports on the investigation said officers tried to use recording equipment as part of the inquiry, though some equipment did not work as intended. The allegations were not part of the murder plea that produced the life sentence for Karen Liner’s death. They remain legally distinct, and Liner is presumed innocent on any unresolved charge unless convicted. Officials have not announced a final public schedule for the separate case, and court dates can change as motions, plea talks or hearings move through the system.

For Cleveland, a city in southeast Tennessee near Chattanooga, the case stood out because of where and how it happened. Karen Liner was at her own home in the morning, close enough to danger that she called 911 herself and named the man she was trying to stop. The call gave investigators a real-time record of fear and confrontation, while the neighbor’s camera gave police a separate view of the driveway. Friends and relatives described her as a woman tied to family, work and service. The final public hearing in the murder case did not answer every question about motive, but it did establish legal guilt. By pleading guilty, Craig Liner admitted responsibility for the charges and accepted the sentence without forcing prosecutors to prove the case to a jury.

The murder case now stands closed with a life sentence entered in Bradley County Circuit Court. The next milestone is the handling of any remaining jailhouse plot charges, which will move on a separate track after the May 2026 guilty plea.

Author note: Last updated June 3, 2026.