MINOT – It is a murder case that has involved law enforcement in multiple states, burned vehicles, a burned residence, and a body discovered in burned vehicle.
Kamauri Kennedy, 34, Minot, charged with AA felony Murder-Intentional or Knowing; and AA felony Conspiracy to Commit Murder-Intentional, had a pretrial appearance in North-Central District Court Wednesday.
An arrest warrant was issued for Kennedy about one month after a body was discovered in the trunk of a burned-out car in southeast Minot. The body was later identified as 33-year-old Domonique Kelly, Kennedy’s live-in girlfriend. Police say a subsequent search of the home the two shared was determined to be deliberately burned.
Kennedy was not apprehended until he was captured in Warren, Michigan in late 2021. He was held in that state on federal probation charges related to a 2013 jewelry store robbery in Atlanta, Georgia. Michigan authorities say Kennedy had been living in Minot in violation of the terms of his parole at the time of the alleged murder of Kelly.
Following the discovery of the burned car and victim in Minot, a 2013 Chrysler owned by Kennedy was found abandoned and burned in the Minneapolis area.
At Wednesday’s appearance Kennedy’s attorney, William Skees, Bismarck, requested a continuance in the case to allow more time to examine the facts of the matter. Skees also asked for a Priority One trial, meaning a date that would likely be certain.
After examining the court calendar and consulting with the defense and state, Lee scheduled a trial for Kennedy April 3-12, 2024, instructing court staff for a pool of 75-100 prospective jurors with a selection of 12 and two alternates. Lee also set a status conference for February 7, 2024, at 3:30 p.m.
