Missouri police closed in on four suspects after a Facebook Marketplace meet-up turned into a deadly ambush that left a Marine veteran fatally shot inside his own home.
Authorities say 42-year-old Michael Ryan Burke was killed during what was supposed to be a routine cellphone sale, with court records tying the shooting to a robbery plot carried out by three 18-year-olds and a juvenile.
Investigators say the group arranged to buy an iPhone from Burke through Facebook and arrived at his Columbia home around 8:10 p.m., setting the stage for a violent confrontation that ended with gunfire.
Court filings describe how Alexis Baumann admitted she drove the group to Burke’s residence, stayed in the vehicle, and waited while Joseph Crane and a juvenile went inside to complete the deal.
Moments later, Baumann told police she heard gunshots coming from inside the home, a sound that sent the two back to her car in a rush.
According to the affidavit, Crane and the juvenile climbed into the vehicle armed with pistols and admitted they had shot Burke and taken his phone before fleeing the scene.
Police records state the stolen phone was later sold at an ecoATM kiosk inside a Walmart on Conley Road shortly after the shooting.
Investigators say Burke, despite being gravely wounded, managed to call 911 and tell dispatchers that someone had come to buy a phone and then shot him.
A friend of Burke’s, Jerry Reifeiss, told KRGC that Burke also sent final messages to his mother and sister as his condition worsened.
Burke “texted them saying that, ‘Hey I’m dying and I love you,’” Reifeiss recalled.
Police say surveillance footage backs up statements from the suspects, showing the same group selling multiple phones at the same Walmart after a series of robberies.
Authorities believe Burke was not the only target that night, with investigators accusing the group of robbing at least two other people of their phones before the fatal encounter.
Court documents say Kobe Aust later confirmed key details during interviews, including claims that Crane and the juvenile were armed and went inside Burke’s home.
Investigators also say Baumann and Aust described how clothing worn during the crime was tossed from the vehicle as the group tried to distance themselves from evidence.
A Columbia Police Department press release announced that one woman, two men, and a male juvenile had been arrested in connection with the robbery and killing.
The suspects were identified as Alexis Baumann, 18, of Hallsville; Kobe Aust, 18, of Columbia; Joseph Crane, 18, of Columbia; and a juvenile whose name was not released.
Baumann faces charges including second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and first-degree burglary.
Aust was booked on counts of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and first-degree burglary.
Crane faces the most serious slate of charges, including second-degree murder, armed criminal action, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Police say the juvenile suspect was also arrested on similar charges tied to the shooting and robberies.
Investigators noted that Burke had a history of service, including missionary work in Uganda, and fought to survive long enough to identify what happened.
Police say Burke’s ability to contact authorities and loved ones became a key piece of the case as detectives worked to track the suspects.
The Missouri case unfolded as a series of crimes involving military veterans across the country drew attention in recent weeks.
In California, an 85-year-old Vietnam veteran was left shaken after someone stole the American flag from the porch of his Sacramento home.
James White, who earned a Purple Heart and served two decades in the U.S. Army, displayed the flag to honor his service and the sacrifices of fellow soldiers.
Security video shared with KCRA shows a man wearing a security vest, black hat, and medical mask removing the flagpole and walking away with the flag still attached.
“That hurts me. That somebody would do something like that, steal a flag,” White said during an interview.
“I fought for that flag. I mean that flag was there before I fought, but I fought for that flag. It’s an American flag, it’s for the United States. For everybody,” he added.
White’s daughter, Daisy Hernandez, described the theft as a violation that deeply affected her father, who is battling stage 4 prostate cancer and chronic kidney disease.
“They have no idea who that flag belonged to or the story behind the man it belonged to. It’s just not right,” Hernandez said.
Earlier this month in Michigan, another veteran was seriously injured after a confrontation outside his home turned violent.
Police say 75-year-old Lloyd Poole was struck in the head by a DoorDash driver after telling the man to slow down near his Wixom residence.
Video from a neighbor’s security camera captured the interaction, which led to emergency surgery and left Poole in a coma.
Wixom Police say 40-year-old Ryan Turner admitted to hitting Poole and leaving him injured on the street.
Turner claimed he acted in self-defense and has been charged with aggravated assault, a misdemeanor carrying a potential one-year sentence.
Court records show Turner has prior assault-related cases and multiple driving offenses, including operating with a suspended or invalid license.
In Philadelphia, prosecutors also announced charges in the killing of a 93-year-old military veteran found stabbed inside his home.
Authorities say Lafayette Dailey was discovered unresponsive during a welfare check after family members and staff at his senior center raised concerns.
Investigators allege 53-year-old Coy Thomas stabbed Dailey multiple times before taking his vehicle and attempting to use his debit card.
Police say surveillance video shows a suspect arriving at Dailey’s home and leaving minutes later in the victim’s car.
Thomas has been charged with murder, robbery, theft-related offenses, and possession of an instrument of crime.
