In the city of Saint Cloud, Minnesota, a 37-year-old Black / African American man named Keita Keletigui, a native of Guinea, had built a life for himself. He came to the United States to study IT and business at St. Cloud State University and in 2011, opened the Kilimanjaro Market, a local African grocery store. The market was a piece of home for many, stocking items that would otherwise require a long drive to the Twin Cities.
Keletigui, known affectionately as "Papi," was a well-regarded member of the community, described by those who knew him as an easy-going, kind, and generous person who made everyone feel welcome.
On June 9, 2015, this sense of community was shattered when police were called to Keletigui's apartment at the Lancaster Place Apartments on Division Street. After receiving a report of an unresponsive male, officers had to force their way into the unit. Inside, they found Keletigui deceased. An autopsy would later confirm he died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Investigators noted that there were no signs of a forced entry into the apartment, suggesting he may have known his killer. Several items were missing from his home, including an iPhone, an Apple computer, watches, and coins.
The investigation into his death continued for more than two years without an arrest, leaving his family and community searching for answers. A break in the case came when investigators focused on fingerprints found on two glasses in Keletigui's bedroom. One of the glasses contained the drug Xanax. The fingerprints led them to a 24-year-old woman from Minneapolis named Cheryl Oby Albert. Friends of Albert later told investigators that it was common for her to drug her clients and rob them. Court records showed Albert had admitted to at least two people that she had robbed a "trick" in St. Cloud, killed him, and was fleeing to Kentucky.
In July 2017, the investigation culminated in an arrest. U.S. Marshals apprehended Cheryl Oby Albert at an airport in Los Angeles as she arrived on a flight from Oakland. She was held in California on an arrest warrant for second-degree murder before being extradited back to Minnesota to face charges. In February 2019, a jury found Albert guilty on two counts of second-degree murder for the drugging, robbery, and shooting of Keita Keletigui. She was sentenced to 25 and a half years in prison.
