A Tennessee man who ambushed and killed his ex-wife while she begged for him to 'stop' on a chilling 911 call has avoided a trial by pleading guilty. Charlton Craig Liner, 61, entered the plea on Monday to first-degree murder, felony murder, and aggravated burglary in the January 2025 death of his ex-wife, Karen Liner, a mother-of-two and well-known real estate agent in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Sentence and Parole Eligibility
Liner was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, but the Tenth Judicial District Attorney's Office stated he will not be eligible for parole for 51 years. District Attorney Stephen Hatchett of Bradley, Polk, and McMinn counties told Local 3 News: 'I have no doubt he will never see the light of day again, and it's certainly a punishment he absolutely deserves.'
Details of the Crime
The crime was captured on surveillance footage from a neighboring home. The video showed Liner pulling into his ex-wife's driveway in broad daylight and firing five shots. He then walked away and got into a white sedan parked in the driveway, before exiting and firing at least one more shot, according to Cleveland Police Detective Don Nation's preliminary hearing testimony.
During the attack, police believe Karen Liner called 911 and could be heard saying, 'Please stop, Craig, please stop,' followed by the sound of multiple gunshots, as per an affidavit obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Hatchett commented: 'You cannot listen to that 911 recording or watch that video and not have your heart break for an innocent person being victimized by someone who clearly had no remorse and no regard for her life.' He added: 'When you see it and you hear it, that makes it different for the public. It's a brutal murder committed in real time. That is not something, as I can recall, that we've ever had in Bradley County.'
Aftermath and Additional Charges
After the shooting, Liner went to a friend's house armed with three guns and said something like 'It's done, I killed her,' according to the initial affidavit. His cousin, Jay Collins, testified that Liner told him 'It's over' and 'I finished it.' Collins also revealed that Liner was in the process of selling the home he shared with Karen and had recently been fired from his job as a pharmacist at CHI Memorial Hospital.
While in jail, Liner allegedly offered to pay a fellow inmate to kill his ex-mother-in-law. An inmate wore a wire in May 2025 when Liner approached him and asked him to 'solve his problem' about his mother-in-law, offering his boat and car worth several thousand dollars. Liner faces an additional charge of solicitation to commit first-degree murder.
Community and Family Impact
Cleveland Police Chief Mark Gibson told WDEF that Karen's mother was 'pleased with the outcome' and that he was 'relieved that he didn't plea and didn't take the family through a trial.' He said: 'Our thoughts and prayers are moving with the Liners and the Hopper family. They're the ones that are really gonna carry this burden for the rest of their lives.' Gibson noted the case proves nobody is 'immune from this' and serves as a reminder to 'cherish your time with your family.' He added: 'This is gonna be an instance that's gonna affect this community for a long time,' but assured the public that authorities will use every resource to work such cases to an end.
