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Press Release

Lover and Co-Conspirator of U.S. Army Sergeant who Murdered his Wife Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland
U.S. Army Sergeant Also Convicted of the Murder, Which Occurred Near Fort Meade on August 24, 2015

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Dolores Delgado, age 33, of San Antonio, Texas, today to 17 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in death, in connection with the death of Karlyn Ramirez.  Army Sergeant Maliek Kearney, age 37, of San Antonio, Texas, with whom Delgado had a romantic relationship, was convicted by a federal jury on August 9, 2018, for the murder and a related gun charge.

The sentence 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; Major General David P. Glaser, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

According to Delgado’s plea agreement, Karlyn Ramirez was an active-duty soldier of the United States Army assigned to Fort Meade, Maryland.  Ms. Ramirez was found shot to death in her off-post residence on the morning of August 25, 2015.  Her four-month old daughter had been placed in her arms.  Forensic evidence estimated the likely time of death was during the late evening hours of August 24, 2015. 

At the time of her death, Ramirez was married to another active-duty soldier, Sergeant Maliek Kearney, who was the father of her four-month old daughter.  They had recently separated and Ramirez had obtained a protective order through the Army prohibiting all contact between Ramirez and Kearney. 

According to Delgado’s plea agreement and evidence presented at Kearney’s trial, Kearney was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  On August 24, 2015, he finished work in the early afternoon and traveled from South Carolina to Severn, Maryland.  He entered Ramirez’s townhouse using his key and brandishing a Taurus .357 caliber revolver.  Ramirez attempted to calm her husband but reiterated that she did not want to see him again.  Kearney shot Ramirez three times, killing her.  He then took off her pants and pulled down her underwear in an attempt to make it look like a sexual assault.  Kearney also placed their 4-month old daughter in Ramirez’s arms.

Delgado admitted that she provided the firearm that Kearney used to murder Ramirez and allowed Kearney to drive her car from South Carolina to Maryland to commit the murder.  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.  During the murder, Delgado (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 another individual traveled to a waterway in Florida and disposed of the firearm, shell casings, the clothing Kearney wore during the murder, and the key he used to enter Ramirez’s townhouse.  Delgado also dismantled the revolver and took steps to obliterate the serial number.  Law enforcement divers recovered the firearm and forensic testing determined that it was indeed the gun Kearney used to shoot Karlyn Ramirez to death.  

Judge Russell has scheduled sentencing for Maliek Kearney on November 30, 2018, at noon.  Kearney remains detained pending sentencing.

Delgado has been detained since her arrest. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Baltimore, the Army CID, and the 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.  Mr. Hur also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Kenneth S. Clark, who are prosecuting the case.

 

Contact

Marcia Murphy
(410) 209-4854

Updated September 10, 2018

Topic
Violent Crime