Ex-boyfriend, 2 others plead guilty in killing of Zaria McKeever
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Three people charged in the murder of Zaria McKeever have issued guilty pleas on the day a trial was set to begin.
McKeever, 23, was found dead from gunshot wounds in her Brooklyn Park apartment back in November 2022.
Prosecutors have since charged her ex-boyfriend Erick Haynes. McKeever was the mother of his 1-year-old child, and he was upset that their relationship had ended, charging documents said.
Erick Haynes is accused of bringing a gun to McKeever's apartment on Nov. 8 and ordering two teenage brothers to kill her new boyfriend, as well as McKeever herself if she got in the way. The teens kicked in the apartment door, and while McKeever's new boyfriend jumped out the window, she was shot dead, charging documents state. One of the minors was shot in the foot during the killing.
Two other adults — 24-year-old Eriana Haynes and 24-year-old Tavion James — are charged with helping after the homicide, including bringing one of the boys to the hospital for a gunshot wound.
The two minors charged in the case, including 17-year-old Foday Kamara, have taken plea deals outside of court.
McKeever's family argued that the original plea deals, which had Kamara and his brother serving two years at a Red Wing juvenile program, did not amount to justice served for McKeever. They expressed their dissatisfaction with Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty's decision not to charge the teens as adults, which led Gov. Tim Walz to assign Attorney General Keith Ellison to take over the case.
It marked the first time in 30 years that the Minnesota AG's office took over a criminal case without the green light from the county attorney. Moriarty called the takeover "undemocratic."
Kamara, who was later certified as an adult, is scheduled to be sentenced in May. The second juvenile was not charged as an adult and was sentenced to two years in the juvenile detention center.
All three who faced trial on Monday entered guilty pleas, according to court documents. The state recommends sentences of 48 months for Eriana Haynes and 42 months for James, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Erick Haynes' sentencing is scheduled for April 12. A charge of first-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
"Accountability is not justice, but it is an important step on the road to justice. With all defendants in this case having now pleaded guilty for their roles in this heinous crime, today is another important step toward justice for Zaria and her family," Attorney General Ellison said.