In a tragic turn of events, a 42-year-old Missouri man, who once served as a distinguished U.S. Marine and dedicated missionary, fell victim to a lethal Facebook Marketplace scheme. Authorities report that Ryan Burke was lured into a deadly trap by a group of teenagers under the pretense of purchasing his iPhone.

The alleged culprits, aged 18, include Kobe Aust, Joseph Crane, and Alexis Baumann, along with an unnamed juvenile due to their minor status. They reportedly arranged to meet Burke on a Sunday evening at his Columbia home. The facade of buying his iPhone 15 Pro, a device worth around $585, was merely a cover for their sinister intentions, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit.

Upon reaching Burke’s residence, located on the 1400 block of Ridgemont Court, the juvenile suspect allegedly messaged Burke, stating, “I’m here.” The group had coordinated their visit via Facebook, making the interaction appear credible.

During police interviews, Baumann revealed her involvement in driving the group to Burke’s home. The affidavit notes that Crane and the juvenile suspect entered the house with the intention of securing the phone. Shortly thereafter, Baumann recalled hearing three gunshots.

Following the gunfire, Crane and the young suspect hastily retreated to Baumann’s vehicle, and she drove them away from the crime scene, leaving behind a community shaken by the senseless violence.

Baumann told police that Crane and the juvenile “were both armed with pistols, and once back inside of her car” they admitted to shooting Burke and stealing his phone, “which they sold at the ecoATM at the Conley Rd. Walmart directly after the murder,” the affidavit says.

“Hey, I’m dying and I love you,” Burke texted his mom and sister after being shot, according to family friend and fraternity brother Jerry Reifeiss, who spoke to local CBS affiliate KRCG about Burke’s death.

“He texted them saying that,” Reifeiss recounted. “That was just Ryan. 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.”

Police say Burke, who reportedly did missionary work in Uganda, also managed to call police after being shot and “reported someone came to buy a phone from him, and the suspect shot him,” per the affidavit.

While fleeing, Baumann said that Crane and the juvenile “threw their sweatshirts out of her car window,” which Aust corroborated in police interviews as well, according to police. He, too, allegedly said Crane and the juvenile were armed and went inside Burke’s home.

The group is accused of going on a robbery spree before killing Burke, during which they targeted at least two others for their phones.

“If you touch me I’ll shoot you,” the juvenile suspect told one of the victims after swiping her phone “when she showed it to him,” the affidavit alleges.

Surveillance footage obtained by police shows the teens allegedly selling the phones they stole at the same Walmart on Conley Road following all three robberies. Detectives were able to track down the group on Monday using Flock license plate cameras to locate Baumann’s car. She and Aust were taken into custody and interviewed about what happened, with Crane and the juvenile being arrested later in the day.

All four individuals are charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action. They are being held without bond.