Minneapolis Woman to Testify in Murder Trial After Plea Agreement
A woman charged in a Minneapolis homicide has agreed to testify against her co-defendant as part of a plea deal.
Megan Renee Karjala, 24, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday, April 15, for one count of first-degree aggravated robbery.
The plea agreement requires her to testify truthfully in the case against co-defendant Vernon Archie, who is charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the murder charge against Karjala and recommend a prison sentence of 57 months, which is at the top of the sentencing guideline range for her robbery conviction.
PREVIOUSLY: DNA Ties 2 Suspects to Minneapolis Homicide
Karjala admitted she lured the victim—a man she had met on a dating app—to a Minneapolis anddress around 4:30 a.m. on May 17, 2024, under the pretense of meeting in person. According to the criminal complaint, she and Archie planned to steal a vehicle and targeted the victim after seeing his photo and car on the dating app.
When the victim arrived in a red Chevy Suburban near 2215 5th Avenue North, Karjala and Archie confronted him. The victim attempted to run but was shot multiple times by Archie, Karjala told police. She said she then pulled a second firearm—a .380 pistol—and held the victim at gunpoint while Archie retrieved his car keys. The two suspects then fled the area in the stolen Suburban.
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The victim was found critically wounded by responding officers and later died at Hennepin County Medical Center. Police recovered .45 caliber shell casings at the scene and matched them to a Springfield pistol found in Karjala’s bag days later when both she and Archie were arrested in Saint Paul. Ballistics testing confirmed the weapon was used in the killing.
Karjala’s DNA was later found inside the victim’s vehicle, along with Archie’s. Cell phone data also placed both defendants in the area of the shooting at the time and surveillance video supported the timeline, showing two people in ski masks approaching the area before the shooting and fleeing afterward.
Karjala remains in custody. Had she gone to trial and been convicted on the original murder charge, she faced up to 40 years in prison.
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