Last of the sentences imposed following the home invasion murder of Zaria McKeever in Brooklyn Park

The last of five sentences was imposed Wednesday in connection with the home invasion murder of Zaria McKeever in Brooklyn Park, a case that sparked outrage among members of her family for what they saw as a lack of accountability at towards the minors who carried out the shooting on demand. from her jealous ex-boyfriend.

Eriana Dewauna Haynes, 25, was sentenced by Hennepin County District Judge William Koch to just under 3 1/2 years, while Koch reserved 3 1/2 years for her husband, Tavion Michael Darnell James, 25, and convicted him. to one year in the county workhouse with five years probation. Both had earlier pleaded guilty to assisting an offender after the fact.

Criminal complaints accused the couple of helping John Kamara seek medical treatment for a gunshot wound suffered when his younger brother, Foday Kamara, discharged his weapon during the November 2022 burglary.

When questioned by police at the hospital, the couple intentionally provided false and misleading information that hampered the initial stages of the investigation, prosecutors alleged.

Police said the couple lied when they said Kamara was shot in north Minneapolis in an effort to protect the ex-boyfriend, Erick Haynes, and the teens from becoming murder suspects, according to the charges .

Eriana Haynes and James were staying in the same hotel room as Erick Haynes, Eriana's brother, the night of the home invasion, according to the charges. She was further accused of lending her car to the teens so they could drive to McKeever's home and back to the hotel. When the boys returned to the hotel, the couple drove John Kamara to the hospital and “a story was concocted to cover up the murder,” according to the charges.

The charges say they continued to provide false statements to police hours later during interviews at the Brooklyn Park police station.

A month ago, Koch accepted Foday Kamara's guilty plea to aiding and abetting second-degree intentional murder and sentenced him to 10 years.

John Kamara, who was 17 when McKeever was killed, is expected to spend about six months in a juvenile detention center in Red Wing and then be transferred to the Lino Lakes juvenile delinquent program.

Erick Haynes pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in March, avoiding a lengthy trial, and was sentenced to life in prison in April.

Foday Kamara's adult criminal conviction marked a hard-fought victory for state prosecutors, a year after Attorney General Keith Ellison withdrew the case from County Attorney Mary Moriarty amid intense backlash negative from the public.

At Ellison's request, Governor Tim Walz took the extremely rare step of reassigning the case after Walz and Ellison agreed with the McKeever family that the initial plea offers to the Kamaras were too indulgent.

Moriarty offered Foday Kamara, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, a deal to avoid adult prison and adult certification. Instead, he would have served about two years in the Red Wing Juvenile Correctional Facility and extended his probation until his 21st birthday.