The tragic death of Marine veteran and missionary Michael Ryan Burke has shed light on a disturbing Facebook Marketplace scam allegedly orchestrated by a group of local teens. Burke, 42, was fatally shot during a planned meetup to sell his iPhone Pro 15 for $585 at his home in Columbia, Mo.
According to court documents, Burke had arranged to meet with Alexis Baumann, Kobe Aust, Joseph Crane, all 18 years old, and an unnamed juvenile through Facebook Marketplace. The group had reportedly lured Burke under the guise of purchasing his cell phone.
Baumann confessed to driving the group to Burke’s home, where Crane and the juvenile entered to retrieve the iPhone. Gunshots were heard shortly after, and the group fled the scene in Baumann’s vehicle. Crane and the juvenile, armed with pistols, admitted to the shooting.
After the murder, the group sold Burke’s phone at an ecoATM at a Walmart on Conley Road. They also discarded their sweatshirts out of the car window while fleeing the scene.
Authorities revealed that the teens had been involved in a series of cell phone robberies through Facebook Marketplace prior to Burke’s death. The minor had threatened a victim with a gun during a robbery the day before Burke’s murder and had also stolen an iPhone 12 in another incident.
Law enforcement used Flock license plate cameras to identify Baumann’s car, leading to the arrest of Baumann, Aust, Crane, and the juvenile. The three 18-year-olds are currently held without bond at the Boone County Jail, while the juvenile is in custody at the Boone County Juvenile Office.
The group is scheduled to appear in court next week, as reported by KOMU 8. This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by online marketplace scams and the importance of exercising caution when engaging in such transactions.
