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Crime, Law and Justice
Estelle Timar-Wilcox

Brooklyn Park teen sentenced to 11 years for murder

Family stands before bank of microphones
Tiffynnie Epps, Zaria McKeever’s sister (center) speaks to reporters alongside family members at the Hennepin County Government Center following the sentencing of Erick Haynes in April.
Matt Sepic | MPR News

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Foday Kamara, 17, was sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison Wednesday for the murder of 23-year-old Zaria McKeever in November 2022. 

Kamara broke into McKeever’s apartment and fatally shot her. McKeever’s ex-boyfriend, Erick Haynes, ordered Kamara and his brother to shoot McKeever’s new partner. He escaped the apartment, and Kamara shot McKeever instead. Kamara was 15 at the time. 

Kamara pleaded guilty to adult murder charges in March. The plea deal included a negotiated sentence of 130 months.

McKeever’s family said the sentence feels small compared to the loss they suffered. Her stepfather Paul Greer told the court he wanted a longer sentence.

“It is my hope that this court will do everything in its power to make sure his sentence is upheld, and that he will be held to the fullest accountability that can be had,” Greer said.

Early in the case, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty sparked controversy when she moved to prosecute Kamara and his brother as juveniles. After outcry from McKeever’s family, Governor Tim Walz made a rare intervention, removing Moriarty from the case and reassigning it to Attorney General Keith Ellison.

State attorney Leah Erickson said Kamara’s sentence accounts for his youth, while still recognizing the harm he caused.

“He must be held accountable for his actions,” Erickson said. “Zaria McKeever was shot multiple times, including point blank range to the head, as she laid prone in a hallway closet. That was no accident.” 

Kamara will begin his sentence in a juvenile facility, before transferring to an adult prison in six months. In a statement his attorneys read to the court, he apologized. But after the hearing, McKeever’s family called the apology scripted and insincere.

“I’m not satisfied with the outcome,” said McKeever’s aunt Virginia Taylor. “I don’t think that he got the right justice. Nobody, because they’re 15 years old, should get away with stuff because of their age.”

Haynes was sentenced last month to life in prison for first-degree murder, with an eligibility for parole in 30 years.