5 chilling Details About Sherri Malarik's Murder 

Sherri Malarik was a Navy petty officer who was found murdered on September 22, 2001. The loving mother and honorable officer for the nation was found in the passenger seat of her minivan with two gunshot wounds to her head.

The upcoming Dateline NBC episode "The Sleepover" deals with the shocking murder case of Sherri Malarik. It premieres on NBC on Friday, February 2, 2024. The episode is the 25th episode of Season 32 of the show. The official synopsis of the episode reads:

"Sherri Malarik’s life took a tragic turn when she was discovered shot to death in her minivan after a sudden and unexplained disappearance. The case remained cold, shrouded in mystery for years, leaving her family devastated and desperate for answers."

It further reads:

"But the passage of time can sometimes bring unexpected revelations and memories long buried. In 'The Sleepover,' we witness the startling turn of events that resurface these old memories and shed new light on the case. "

This article explores some of the most chilling details about Sherri Malarik's murder case ahead of the NBC Dateline episode.

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5 Chilling Facts about the 2001 murder of Naval Officer Sherri Malarik

1) Sherri Malarik was shot twice in her head

A still of Sherri Malarik (image via NBC)

Sherri Malarik, an employee of the US Navy, was found in the passenger seat of her car after she went missing the night before from in front of her house.

Her brother-in-law found her body parked in a Cantonment Winn Dixie parking lot. Investigators confirmed that the cause of her death was two gunshot wounds to her head. The investigation also suggested that she was shot with a .25 caliber handgun.

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2) It took almost two decades to arrest her killer

Sherri's husband Greg Malarik was the prime suspect at the time of her murder. However, a lack of evidence meant that he could not be arrested in 2001.

Authorities arrested Greg in 2020 after conclusive evidence came forward that was a breakthrough in the otherwise cold case. Malarik's ex-girlfriend Jennifer Spohn testified against him, and that led to his arrest. She claimed that Greg often talked about killing his wife (albeit jokingly) and she even saw him walk out of their family van on the night of the murder, claiming he had to shoot Sherri twice. Greg placed a bag in her car, which Spohn later hurled off a bridge, according to Spohn. The purported murder weapon was in the bag, along with other things.

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3) Greg was having an affair when Sherri was murdered

Jennifer providing her testimony during the trial (image via YouTube)

As per Jennifer Spohn, she and Greg Malarik were having an affair when Sherri was stationed in Greece on duty. They even continued their affair upon her return, as Greg introduced Jennifer as the babysitter to Greg and Sherri's five children.

As shown in Dateline, Sherri's son Jacob even testified that he suspected an affair between Spohn and Greg since she would often come over to their house when his mother was absent.

As per Spohn, Greg wanted to murder Sherri because he wanted to be with Jennifer. He believed that killing Sherri would be a quicker way for them to get together, rather than going through a divorce.

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4) Greg Malarik was abusive toward his children

As explored in Dateline, Jacob testified against his father in court, claiming that he was abusive toward him and his siblings. Although the court did not allow Jacob to share details about the abuse with the court, Jacob claimed that Greg Malarik was very manipulative and used to abuse them when their mother was not around.

Jacob related that Greg held a family meeting to inform them of their mother's passing, but offered them no consolation. Jacob had the impression that Greg was quietly telling the kids to keep quiet if someone asked them about Sherri's passing.

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5) Greg Malarik was acquitted after undergoing two trials

The most shocking fact about the case is that no one is serving time for Sherri Malarik's murder. Greg Malarik, after his arrest in 2020, was released after posting a bail bond worth $400,000.

He was found "not guilty" in 2022 after the court deemed a mistrial after an inconclusive decision by a 12-person jury. In a subsequent hearing in October 2023, Greg was found "not guilty" of murdering Sherri Malarik after the court found the evidence inconclusive and tampered with (as per them).

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Catch the chilling details of Sherri Malarik's murder on the Dateline episode when it airs on NBC on February 2, 2024, at 9/8 c.