MINNEAPOLIS — The man investigators say set into motion a plot that ended in the fatal shooting of a young mother has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
Court documents filed Monday indicate Erick Haynes entered his plea in Hennepin County Court in connection with the killing of his ex-girlfriend, Zaria McKeever, just before his trial was about to begin. As part of the plea agreement, three other counts of murder were dropped.
“Accountability is not justice, but it is an important step on the road to justice," said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in a statement Monday evening. "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. Yet nothing can bring Zaria McKeever back to her family, loved ones, and community."
According to Ellison's office, two others, Eriana Haynes and Tavion James, also entered guilty pleas for one charge each of aiding an offender after the fact in for their roles. In exchange for their pleas, Ellison's office recommended a judge sentence them 48 months and 42 months, respectively.
Prosecutors say Haynes recruited then-15-year-old Foday Kevin Kamara and his older brother in November of 2022, gave them a gun and instructed the teens to confront McKeever's new boyfriend at her apartment in Brooklyn Center. Kamara would later tell police he broke down the door to the apartment and fatally shot McKeever when she allegedly charged him.
Kamara pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as an adult on March 22, and was granted a downward departure in his sentence in exchange for him testifying against Haynes.
The case took on an elevated profile after Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty offered the teens a deal that would have them serve just two years in a juvenile facility in exchange for testifying against Haynes. McKeever's family publicly decried the deal, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison eventually stepped in and took the case from Moriarty.
“We all — her family and her child most of all — continue to suffer her loss," Ellison continued in his statement. "I thank and honor the McKeever family for their steadfast pursuit of justice for Zaria."
Erick Haynes is scheduled to be sentenced April 12.
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