Marine Veteran Sent Heartbreaking Text to Loved Ones After Being Fatally Shot at Facebook Marketplace Meetup By KC Baker 16

A decorated U.S. Marine veteran who was shot and killed at his Missouri home during what he thought was the legitimate Facebook Marketplace sale of an iPhone used the last moments of his life to call 911 and text his family goodbye.

Michael Ryan Burke, 42, was shot and killed at his home in Columbia on Sunday, Jan. 18, while trying to sell his iPhone, the Columbia Police Department said in a statement.

The alleged robbery-turned-murder unfolded at about 8:15 p.m. when Columbia Police responded to a call about shots fired at Ridgemont Court in Columbia.

There, officers found a man, identified as Burke, inside the home suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

After being shot, Burke called 911 to report that someone had come to his house to buy a phone from him and shot him, according to a probable cause statement obtained by PEOPLE.

During that 911 call, he was able to give authorities a description of his alleged attackers.

While he waited for police and an ambulance to arrive, he texted his mother and sister, saying, “I’m dying and I love you,” his longtime friend Jerry Reifeiss told KRCG13.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, police arrested three 18-year-olds and one juvenile male and charged them in connection with Burke’s shooting death.

Alexis Baumann, 18, Kobe Aust, 18, Joseph Crane, 18, and an unidentified male juvenile are charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary, according to Columbia police.

Crane and the juvenile male face additional charges for unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action, according to Columbia police.

According to a probable cause statement obtained by PEOPLE, in the two days leading up to the alleged murder, the four suspects had stolen iPhones from other people who were selling them on Facebook Marketplace.

According to the probable cause statement, police say the suspects carried out at least two iPhone robberies in the days before Burke’s killing, targeting sellers they met through Facebook Marketplace. 

In one case, a victim reported the phone was stolen from her and a gun was pointed at her, and investigators later determined the stolen device was sold at a Walmart ecoATM shortly after the robbery. Authorities allege Baumann and Aust were captured on surveillance footage at the machine, with video also showing all four suspects arriving together in the same vehicle.

Their alleged spree continued on Sunday, Jan. 18, when officers responded to a call about an alleged “gunshot murder” in the 1400 block of Ridgemont Ct., in Columbia, and found Burke suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the probable cause statement says.

During the ensuing investigation, detectives reviewed Burke’s Facebook messages on his phone and saw messages from someone arranging to purchase his iPhone 15 Pro, valued at about $585.

In the message, Burke gave one of the suspects his address and at about 8:10 p.m., the suspect replied, “I’m here.”

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Reifeiss told KRCG13 that Burke was a military hero who took part in dangerous missions as a decorated Marine.

He isn’t surprised that Burke texted his mother and sister in his final moments. “That was just Ryan,” he told the outlet. “He always put people in front of him and wanted to make sure people knew how he felt. He didn’t want to go on to the next life and pass away without providing some information to us here that would bring justice to these people and let people know he always loves them.”

Baumann, Aust and Crane are being held without bond at the Boone County Jail. The juvenile is in custody at the Boone County Juvenile Office.

It is unclear whether they have retained attorneys who can speak on their behalf.