Date: 08-10-2018

Case Style:

Case Number: 1:16-cr-00486-GLR-1

Judge: 1:16-cr-00486-GLR-1

Court: United States District Court for the District of Maryland (Baltimore County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: James G. Warwick and Kenneth Sutherland Clark

Defendant's Attorney: Teresa Whalen and Kwasi Hawks

Description: Baltimore, MD - Army Sergeant Convicted After Federal Trial of Domestic Violence Resulting in the Murder of his Wife
U.S. Army Soldier Was Murdered Near Fort Meade on August 24, 2015

A federal jury today convicted Army Sergeant Maliek Kearney, age 37, of San Antonio, Texas, for interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in the death of Karlyn Ramirez, and for using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commanding General David P. Glaser of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

According to the evidence presented at Kearney’s 11-day trial, Kearney was married to Karlyn Ramirez, an active-duty soldier of the United States Army assigned to Fort Meade, Maryland, and they had a four-month-old daughter together. Ramirez was found shot to death in her off-post residence on the morning of August 25, 2015. The baby had been placed in her arms. Based on the evidence, the likely time of death was estimated to be the late evening hours of August 24, 2015.

Witnesses testified that at the time of Ramirez’s death, the couple had recently separated and Ramirez had obtained a protective order through the Army prohibiting all contact between her and Kearney.

Kearney was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The evidence presented at trial showed that on August 24, 2015, Kearney finished work in the early afternoon and traveled from South Carolina to Severn, Maryland. Witnesses testified that Kearney entered Ramirez’s townhouse using his key and brandished a Taurus .357 caliber revolver. According to trial testimony, Ramirez attempted to calm her husband but she reiterated that she did not want to see him again. Kearney then shot Ramirez three times, killing her. According to the evidence presented, Kearney then took off her pants and pulled down her underwear in an attempt to make it look like a sexual assault. He also placed their four-month-old daughter in Ramirez’s arms.

Kearney’s girlfriend, Delores Delgado, testified at trial that she provided the firearm that killed Ramirez and allowed Kearney to drive her car from South Carolina to Maryland to commit the murder. The evidence showed that Delgado also purchased large gas cans for Kearney to take with him, so that he would not have to stop for gas and risk being seen. According to witness testimony, during the murder, Kearney’s girlfriend, who lived in Florida at the time, stayed at Kearney’s apartment in South Carolina with his phone and vehicle so that it would appear that he was in South Carolina at the time of the murder. After the murder, Delgado and a third party went to a waterway in Florida and disposed of the firearm, shell casings, Kearney’s clothing worn during the murder, and the key he used to enter the townhouse. Delgado also dismantled the revolver and took steps to obliterate the serial number. The firearm was subsequently recovered by law enforcement divers and forensic testing determined that it was indeed the gun used by Kearney to shoot Karlyn Ramirez to death.

Dolores Delgado, age 33, of San Antonio, Texas, previously pled guilty in federal court for interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in death, in connection with the death of Karlyn Ramirez. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for Delgado on September 7, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.

Kearney faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Judge Russell scheduled sentencing for Kearney on November 16, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. Kearney remains detained.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Baltimore, Army CID, and Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation, and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas and FBI San Antonio for their assistance.


The United States of America charged Maliek Kearney, age 37, with:

18:2261(a)(1) INTERSTATE TRAVEL TO COMMIT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESULTING IN DEATH; 18:2 AIDING & ABETTING
(1)
18:2261(a)(1) INTERSTATE TRAVEL TO COMMIT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESULTING IN DEATH; 18:2 AIDING & ABETTING
(1s)
18:924(c) and (j) DISCHARGE OF A FIREARM IN A CRIME OF VIOLENCE RESULTING IN DEATH; 18:2 AIDING & ABETTING
(2s)

Karlyn Ramirez, age 24, was found shot to death in the bedroom of her Severn townhouse on August 24, 2015.

The Government alleged that Kearney and Dolores Delgado, age 33, conspired to kill Ramirez.

Outcome: 08/09/2018 124 Jury Trial - DAY 11 as to Maliek Kearney held on 8/9/2018 before Judge George Levi Russell, III.(Court Reporter: Nadine Gazic) (mds, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/09/2018)
08/09/2018 PAPERLESS NOTICE OF HEARING by U.S. Attorney's Office as to Maliek Kearney. PLEASE NOTE: Defendant is in custody. A writ has not been requested. A come up was requested on 8/9/2018. An interpreter will not be needed. Sentencing set for 11/16/2018 11:00 AM in Courtroom 7A, 101 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, before Judge George Levi Russell III.(Clark, Kenneth) (Entered: 08/09/2018)
08/09/2018 125 PROPOSED WITNESSES OR NAMES TO BE MENTIONED AT TRIAL by Maliek Kearney (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 126 WITNESS LIST by USA as to Maliek Kearney (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 127 EXHIBIT LIST by Maliek Kearney (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 128 EXHIBIT LIST by USA as to Maliek Kearney (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 129 Stipulation re: Certification of Exhibits Submitted to the Jury (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 130 JURY VERDICT as to Maliek Kearney (1) Guilty on Count 1s, 2s. (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 131 -SEALED- JURY VERDICT Signed (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 132 Stipulation re: Return of Exhibits to Counsel (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 133 Jury Notes (Attachments: # 1 Envelope)(cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 134 Jury Notes (Attachments: # 1 Envelope)(cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 135 -SEALED- Jury Notes - Signed (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)
08/09/2018 136 Sentencing Order as to Maliek Kearney. Signed by Judge George Levi Russell, III on 8/9/2018. (cags, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 08/10/2018)

Defendant was found guilty.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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