Two additional adults charged in Zaria McKeever’s murder

This case is from 8 November 2022. Zaria Rashun McKeever was shot and killed by 2 youths wearing black hoodies. According to Zaria’s boyfriend he was in the bathroom when they came in and shot Zaria. He told police that ex-boyfriend Erick Dewaun Haynes, 22 was harassing Zaria by phone and following her.

Video footage confirm the boyfriends information.

Haynes told police he was mad at Zaria over their relationship ending and her having a new boyfriend. He also admitted to going to her apartment with two teens,  a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old to beat up Zaria’s new boyfriend and giving the teens a gun. Haynes said nobody answered when he was there and he waited in the car while the two teens planned to kick in the door.

The teens implicated Haynes in the incident, confirming that Haynes had given them the gun and told them to shoot McKeever’s boyfriend. Court documents state that the teens claimed McKeever had a knife when they kicked in the door and the 15-year-old fired multiple shots at McKeever before they ran away to meet up with Haynes. The 17-year-old was shot in the leg and Haynes took him to get medical attention.

Hennepin County Attorney charges two additional adults in Zaria McKeever’s murder

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the charging of two additional adults in connection with the murder of Zaria McKeever in Brooklyn Park late last year. Eriana Dewauna Haynes, 24, of Brooklyn Center, and Tavion Michael Darnell James, 24, of Brooklyn Park, each face one felony charge of Aiding an Offender – Accomplice After the Fact in violation of Minn. Stat. 609.495.3. Five individuals have now been charged by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in connection with Ms. McKeever’s death.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office coordinated closely with the Brooklyn Park Police Department on these cases.

“Zaria’s murder was a devastating tragedy,” Hennepin County Mary Moriarty said. “Her family and the community are grieving and we are continuing to pursue justice. These additional charges are possible only because we have not stopped in our efforts to investigate this case and hold accountable everyone who played a role. And we will continue this work until justice is done.”

Ms. McKeever was shot and killed November 8, 2022, in a case of domestic homicide. Her former boyfriend, Erick Haynes, age 22, has been charged with second-degree murder, and the County Attorney’s Office has filed a notice with the court of its intent to seek aggravated sentencing against him. The investigation revealed that Mr. Haynes organized and planned this crime because he was angry that Ms. McKeever had ended their relationship. He violated no-contact orders protecting her, developed this plan, and exploited his influence over two teenagers to have them carry it out.

The two teenagers, one 15-year-old and one 17-year-old, were also charged in the case. Both have agreed to plead guilty and cooperate fully in the prosecution of Mr. Haynes. Their cooperation led to the charging of the two additional adult defendants in this case.

The 17-year-old recently pled guilty and the 15-year-old is scheduled to enter his plea on April 7. As a result of their guilty pleas, each will be incarcerated at the Red Wing juvenile prison, where they will be required to participate in rehabilitative services and significant programming. If they violate the terms of their sentences in any way – whether by failing to follow programming, committing a new crime, refusing to engage in positive activities, or taking actions that show they are returning to their former patterns of criminal behavior – they face immediate transfer to adult state prison, where they would both serve substantially lengthy sentences.

These sentences will better protect the safety of our community in the long run than would sending these teenagers straight to adult prison. Adult prison provides little to no opportunity for rehabilitation, and for children, is counterproductive. Youth sent directly to the adult system have far worse outcomes than those given the benefit of juvenile programming – they are less likely to gain employment, more likely to be impoverished, and much more likely to commit crimes in the future. It should, therefore, be a last resort, as it is here.

If the youths violate the terms of their sentences, a judge will have the opportunity to impose the long prison terms that are also part of their sentences, under Minnesota’s blended sentencing scheme, or “Extended Jurisdiction Juvenile.”

This is the first press release:

Brooklyn Park, MN (November 8, 2022) – On November 8, 2022, at 2:34 a.m., officers of the Brooklyn Park Police Department were dispatched to a 911 call of a home invasion at 6355 Zane Avenue North (Eden Park Apartment Complex), Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Responding officers located an apartment door that appeared to be forced open. Officers entered the unit and located one adult female suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers attempted lifesaving efforts; however, the female was later pronounced deceased. Detectives were called in and an investigation into the incident got underway.

Five individuals were later taken into custody in connection with the incident. It is believed that all individuals knew each other, and this is not believed to be a random crime. There is no known danger to the public and it is believed that all suspects are in custody. The following individuals were arrested for 2nd degree murder:
• 22-year-old adult male from Brooklyn Center, MN
• 23-year-old adult female from Brooklyn Center, MN
• 24-year-old adult male from Coon Rapids, MN
• 17-year-old juvenile male from Brooklyn Park, MN
• 16-year-old juvenile male from Brooklyn Park MN

This is the second press release:

Update: Suspects Charged with Homicide
Brooklyn Park, MN (November 10, 2022) – On Thursday, November 10, 2022, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charged Erick Dewan Haynes, 09/27/2000, with 2nd degree murder (court file no. 27-(R-22-22581) in connection with the death of Zaria McKeever on November 8, 2022. A 17-year-old and a 15-year-old were also both charged with 2nd degree murder in juvenile court.

During the investigation, detectives uncovered a significant amount of evidence that provides some clarity about what led up to the death of Zaria McKeever. The public criminal complaint details much of this evidence.

The following is a summary of details:
Erick Haynes and Zaria McKeever had previously been involved in a domestic relationship. After the relationship ended, Haynes began to show concerning behavior such as following, stalking, and threatening McKeever. Detectives learned that Haynes was mad about their relationship ending and upset over McKeever’s current boyfriend. In the early morning hours of November 8, 2022, Haynes and two juvenile associates went to McKeever’s apartment to confront her and her current boyfriend.

Haynes admitted to detectives that he drove the two juveniles to the apartment that night with the intention of beating up McKeever’s boyfriend. Haynes also admitted that he knew that the two juvenile suspects planned to kick in the apartment door and confront the people inside. Haynes admitted that he waited in the car for the two juvenile suspects while they did this. Haynes also admitted that he bought the gun that was used in the crime and that he had given it to one of the juvenile suspects that night.

During interviews with the juvenile suspects both implicated Haynes in the incident. They indicated that Haynes gave them the gun, told them where to go, and directed them on what to do when they arrived.
Haynes also helped them flee from the scene after. It is believed that the juvenile carrying the gun shot
and killed Zaria McKeever.

It was learned that during the incident, one of the juvenile suspects was incidentally shot during the murder of McKeever. After fleeing the scene of the homicide, all parties retured to a local hotel that they had been staying at. The juvenile suspect that was incidentally shot, needed medical care, and was later brought to the hospital by two other individuals. The two other individuals utilized the same car that was initially used as a getaway vehicle in the homicide, to transport the wounded party to the hospital. Police were able to intercept all parties at the hospital and identified them as being involved in the homicide. Police recognized the getaway vehicle and placed all parties under arrest at the hospital.

As the investigation unfolded, it was learned that the two individuals that drove the wounded juvenile suspect to the hospital may not have been involved in the homicide. The two individuals were released from custody pending further investigation.

More details are available in the criminal complaint authored by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Haynes, along with both juvenile suspects, remain in custody.

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