In the early morning hours of January 27, 2025, the life of Karen Anne Liner, a 51-year-old female realtor from Cleveland, Tennessee, was brought to a tragic and violent end. A frantic 911 call captured her final pleas for help, her voice filled with terror as she screamed 'please stop' before the line was punctuated by the sound of gunshots. When police arrived at her home on Arthur Lane Northwest, they discovered her unresponsive in the driveway.
The investigation swiftly focused on
her ex-husband, 61-year-old Charlton Craig Liner. Evidence quickly mounted against him. Chilling surveillance footage from a neighbor's home allegedly captured Craig Liner arriving at Karen's residence in a silver Lincoln MKZ and then leaving the scene. According to a detective's testimony, the footage showed him pulling into her driveway in broad daylight and firing five shots. Further evidence came from a disturbing 911 call in which Karen Liner reportedly identified 'Craig' as the person with her moments before she was killed.
Following the incident, Liner allegedly drove to his cousin's house and seemingly admitted to the crime. He was arrested the same day and charged with first-degree murder and felony murder. He is being held at the Bradley County Justice Center without bond. During his initial court appearances, he was described as unemotional. His defense attorney has stated that he maintains his innocence.
The case took another dark turn when, while incarcerated, Craig Liner was accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot from his jail cell. He allegedly attempted to hire a fellow inmate to kill his former mother-in-law, offering a Range Rover and a boat as payment. Investigators, alerted by the inmate, reportedly recorded a conversation where the plot was discussed, leading to additional charges against Liner. The legal proceedings for both the murder of Karen Liner and the subsequent murder-for-hire plot are ongoing.
