Tennessee Man Gets Life in Prison After Fatally Shooting Ex-Wife; Attorney Cites Her Chilling Final 911 Call

A Tennessee man, Charlton Craig Liner, 61, pleaded guilty on May 11 to murdering his ex-wife, Karen Liner, a realtor in Cleveland, and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Liner was sentenced through the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. However, he will not be eligible for parole until he serves at least 51 years of his sentence.

Bradley County District Attorney Stephan Hatchett said, “I have no doubt he will never see the light of day again, and it’s certainly a punishment he absolutely deserves.” Hatchett made the remarks in an interview with Local 3 News.

The crime was captured on surveillance footage from a neighboring home, which became a key piece of evidence in the investigation. The video shows 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.

Liner was later seen exiting the vehicle and firing at least one more shot, Cleveland Police Detective Don Nation testified at a preliminary hearing.

Meanwhile, police said a woman believed to be the victim called 911 and could be heard saying, “Please stop, Craig, please stop,” before multiple gunshots were heard, according to an affidavit obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Hatchett said, “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. When you see it, and you hear it, that makes it different."

He added, "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.”

Following the shooting, Liner went to a friend’s house armed with three guns and said, "It’s done, I killed her,” according to the initial affidavit. Liner’s cousin, Jay Collins, also said Liner told him, “It is over,” and “I finished it.”

Liner has been held without bond following his arrest for the murder of Karen Liner. However, while in custody, he allegedly offered to pay a fellow inmate to kill his ex-mother-in-law. An inmate said he wore a wire in May 2025 when Liner allegedly asked him to “solve his problem” involving his mother-in-law.

Charges related to that allegation are pending.