Trial Beginning for Murder of St. Cloud Market Owner

FOLEY -- The murder trial of Cheryl Albert begins in Foley Tuesday with pre-trial motions and jury selection.

The 26-year-old is charged with two counts of 2nd-degree murder and one count of 3rd-degree murder in the 2015 killing of Keletigui Keita.

Court records show Albert was a prostitute who drugged, robbed and shot her victim at his east St. Cloud apartment.

Keita owned the Kilmandjaro Market in St. Cloud. Police found him dead of a gunshot wound to the abdomen on June 9th, 2015. His east St. Cloud apartment was missing several items including an iPhone, Apple computer, watches and coins. Albert’s fingerprints were found on two glasses in the bedroom. At least one of the glasses contained the drug commonly known as Xanax.

The investigation into Keita's murder lasted two years and culminated with Albert's arrest at the Los Angeles Airport. She was extradited back to Minnesota to face the charges.

The trial is scheduled to last approximately two weeks.