Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
On September 22, 2001, authorities discovered Sherri Malarik’s dead body in a Cantonment Winn Dixie parking lot. According to reports, the police found Sherri on the passenger floorboard of the family van. Additionally, there were gunshot wounds to the head. Authorities started investigating the case soon and sent her body for an autopsy.
According to Pensacola News Journal, the medical examiner noted that Sherri Malarik died from two headshot wounds to the head. Also, the report said that a .25 caliber handgun was used to kill the victim. At first, Sherri’s then-husband, Greg Malarik, was accused of killing his wife. However, police didn’t arrest anyone because they couldn’t find the alleged murder weapon. However, in March 2020, the case took a wild turn when the authorities charged Sherri’s then-husband, Greg Malarik, for the murder of Sherri Malarik.
As per the aforementioned outlet, authorities arrested Greg on the same day they interrogated his alleged girlfriend, Jennifer Spohn. Citing the investigators, the outlet mentioned that Spohn “gave testimony that was inconsistent with her original statement.” During the interrogation, Spohn gave new information to the investigators in exchange for immunity. In June 2022, the trial began, and after hearing almost a week of testimonies, the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision. As a result, the court declared it a mistrial.
Dateline NBC will re-examine the gruesome case and provide details about what happened. The episode, “The Sleepover,” will air on the network on Friday, February 2, at 9 p.m. ET.
Why was the first trial declared a mistrial?
As mentioned above, the first trial in the Sherri Malarik murder case ended up being a mistrial. The Pensacola News Journal reported that the jurors deliberated for four hours after hearing testimonies for almost a week. However, they failed to reach a verdict and announced that they could not come to a unanimous decision.
Citing court records, Court TV noted that the jurors sent two notes to the judge saying they couldn’t reach a decision. The note said, “We have followed directions as provided by the court in the instructions to the jury. After presentation of our thoughts and opinions on the evidence and testimony provided, we have concluded that we will not be able to reach a unanimous decision.”
During the closing arguments, the prosecution team continued telling the jury that Greg Malarik had the motive to kill his wife. Additionally, the prosecutors presented a scenario of how he allegedly murdered Sherri. The prosecution claimed that Greg was having an affair with Jennifer Spohn and wanted “an easy out.”
According to the prosecutors, that was the motive. As per The Pensacola News Journal, Greg and Spohn started their affair when the US Navy deployed Sherri to Greece. Citing Spohn’s testimony, the outlet and prosecution mentioned that Greg told her that killing Sherri Malarik was easier than getting a divorce.
Jury failed to reach a unanimous decision
The prosecution team wrapped up her arguments by highlighting how badly Greg wanted to harm Sherri. She pointed out how he had easy access to his wife and his private backyard. Meanwhile, the prosecutors also mentioned Greg tried avoiding suspicion by continuously calling several agencies and family members on the night Sherri Malarik was murdered and the morning after the heinous crime.
On the other hand, the defense attorneys kept on trying to prove that Greg Malarik had nothing to do with Sherri’s killing. After the closing arguments, the judge gave the jury instructions to reach a unanimous verdict. However, the jury failed to do so.
The second trial in the Sherri Malarik murder case began in October 2023.
