Teen accused in woman's slaying now charged as adult; plea deal on table

After years of confidential negotiations, the teenager accused of killing 23-year-old Zaria McKeever during a 2022 Brooklyn Park home invasion has waived adult certification proceedings, signaling that a tentative plea deal is on the table.

The case now moves from juvenile to adult court, meaning previously sealed court records will be made public. Foday Kamara, 17, of Brooklyn Park is now ordered to stand trial as an adult in connection with the Nov. 8, 2022, deadly break-in he allegedly committed alongside his older brother.

He faces felony charges of aiding and abetting second-degree intentional murder and aiding and abetting second-degree murder while committing first-degree burglary with the use of a firearm.

Until Tuesday, Kamara's name was never revealed in court filings. Juvenile records for those younger than 16 at the time of their felony offense are not open to the public. The Star Tribune generally does not identify minors unless they are charged as adults.

Although details of the potential plea are not yet known, prosecutors have long sought Kamara's testimony against McKeever's ex-boyfriend, Erick Haynes, who is accused of orchestrating the attack. Haynes has a history of violating domestic no-contact orders against McKeever, the mother of his child. In the weeks preceding her death, investigators found that Haynes repeatedly stalked and harassed her, angry that she had starting seeing another man.

Kamara remains in custody at the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center, and prosecutors have requested a high bail amount once he is transferred to jail. He makes his first appearance in adult court Wednesday afternoon. A plea hearing is also scheduled for Friday.

The adult charges mark a hard-fought victory for state prosecutors one year after Attorney General Keith Ellison took the case from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty amid intense public backlash.

At Ellison's request, Gov. Tim Walz took the extremely rare step of reassigning the case after Walz and Ellison agreed with McKeever's family that the initial plea offer was too lenient.

Moriarty offered Kamara, who was 15 at the time of the crime, a deal to avoid adult prison and adult certification. Instead, he would serve about a two-year sentence at the juvenile correctional facility in Red Wing and extended probation until his 21st birthday for his role in the shooting.

Attorneys have negotiated Kamara's case since the prosecution changed hands. His older brother's case wrapped up more quickly; John Kamara accepted the same plea deal offer from Moriarty before the state intervened.

"He skated away with no punishment," McKeever's sister, Tiffynnie Epps, said of the elder brother. An adult certification for Foday Kamara — the alleged shooter — "does feel like a little more justice," she added.

"It's still not the max he can receive — that's what we wanted."

Former Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman originally moved to certify the brothers as adults so they could stand trial for murder. But Moriarty's office abruptly changed course, offering the teens a chance to avoid a lengthy adult prison sentence in exchange for testifying against Haynes.

Officials accused Haynes of enlisting the Kamara brothers to carry it out. Haynes' sister and her now-husband are charged as accomplices after the fact.

All three adults were ordered to stand trial jointly. Haynes' attorney, Robert Paule, declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday. Kamara's defense attorney could not be immediately reached for comment. The Attorney General's Office declined to make a statement.

In a statement Tuesday, Moriarty's office emphasized that they still believe the "the best outcome" for Kamara "would be to hold him accountable in a way that protects the public and accounts for his age and extensive history of trauma. Seeking the treatment exclusively available in the juvenile system would have achieved that because it would reduce his likelihood of reoffending in the future."

While a legal conclusion to the case has been slow coming, the police investigation into the fatal home invasion was swift. Brooklyn Park police announced within hours of the murder that two teens and an adult had been arrested. They were all charged two days later.

Botched break-in

Under the cover of darkness, Haynes drove the Kamara brothers to the Eden Park apartment complex in the early morning hours of Nov. 8, 2022, on a mission to kill McKeever's new boyfriend, charges say.

Haynes gave the teens a firearm he'd purchased, then ordered them inside. The 15- and 17-year old boys kicked in the front door, confronted McKeever and briefly argued before Foday unleashed a flurry of shots — cutting down a woman he barely knew.

Five rounds struck McKeever. Another hit the John Kamara in the leg.

McKeever's boyfriend, who was in the bathroom at the time of the shooting, jumped out a second-story window and ran for help. Surveillance video, witness statements and physical evidence helped tie them to the crime scene.

Apartment security footage captured the boys fleeing the apartment, one limping as the other helped him back to their getaway car, with Haynes waiting behind the wheel.

In an interview with investigators after his arrest, Foday admitted to every element of the botched break-in. Haynes gave them the gun with instructions to "deal" with McKeever's boyfriend, noting that if she "caused any problems" they should "shoot her in the leg," according to the criminal complaint.

When the Kamara boys burst through the door, she told them to leave. Foday tried to reassure her that he "didn't want to hurt anyone," charges say, but just wanted the boyfriend to come outside. She blocked their path, attempting to protect her partner in the other room. Kamara claimed that McKeever came at him with a knife as they tried to breach the bedroom door.

That's when he shot her.