Final defendant sentenced in Zaria McKeever murder case

4 days ago 17

The past of 5 adults charged successful transportation with the November 2022 execution of Zaria McKeever was sentenced to 1 twelvemonth successful situation with a stayed 50-month situation condemnation aft admitting she lied to instrumentality enforcement and helped her lad pursuing the killing.

The sentencing, handed down by the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, completes the last prosecution tied to McKeever's death.

McKeever, 23, was changeable and killed successful a Brooklyn Park location connected Nov. 8, 2022. Erick Haynes, her erstwhile spouse and the begetter of her then-1-and-a-half-year-old daughter, sent 2 juveniles — including Foday Kamara — into an flat with guns to termination McKeever's caller boyfriend. The juveniles changeable McKeever 5 times, including astatine point-blank scope to her head. Haynes drove the getaway vehicle.

Valesha Parker pleaded blameworthy connected March 25, to 1 number of aiding an offender aft the fact. She had primitively been charged successful 2024 with 4 felony counts of aiding an offender.

According to charges, Parker was surviving astatine an Extended Stay Hotel successful Brooklyn Center, wherever constabulary aboriginal recovered the execution weapon. Kamara told investigators that Parker was contiguous erstwhile 2 different adults fto him into the edifice room. Kamara said helium told Parker helium had changeable McKeever and that Parker overheard a speech with Haynes astir hiding the execution weapon.

The 50-month situation condemnation volition stay stayed for 5 years, provided Parker meets the presumption of her plea agreement.

Parker is the past of 5 big defendants to beryllium sentenced successful the case. Haynes received a beingness condemnation aft pleading blameworthy to first-degree murder. Kamara was sentenced to much than 10 years successful situation aft pleading blameworthy to second-degree intentional murder. Eriana Haynes received 41 months successful situation aft pleading blameworthy to aiding an offender. Tavion James was sentenced to 364 days successful jailhouse with a stayed 42-month situation condemnation aft besides pleading blameworthy to aiding an offender.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the last sentencing was the effect of sustained enactment by his bureau and instrumentality enforcement partners.

"Nothing and nary 1 tin instrumentality Zaria McKeever to her family, her young daughter, and our community," Ellison said. "I deliberation astir her and her loved ones often and I anticipation this last sentencing provides them and the full assemblage with a consciousness of accountability."

Ellison besides credited McKeever's household for their engagement passim the prosecution.

"I privation to convey the household for their concern successful holding accountable the radical liable for Zaria's murder, and I privation to convey the full squad successful my bureau who diligently pursued justness for her," helium said. "We each proceed to consciousness the nonaccomplishment of Zaria and volition ever retrieve her."

The Brooklyn Park Police Department led the investigation. The Minneapolis Police Department assisted successful the contiguous aftermath of the killing.

Kamara was primitively offered a plea woody by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who wanted him and his member to acquisition rehabilitation alternatively of serving clip successful prison. McKeever's household was outraged and successfully lobbied Gov. Tim Walz to intervene and reroute the lawsuit to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison without Moriarty's support — a determination that hadn't occurred successful the authorities for astir 3 decades. Moriarty called Walz's determination "undemocratic."

In: