Police: Deadly Columbia shooting tied to Facebook Marketplace deal
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A meeting set up on Facebook to ostensibly sell an iPhone turned deadly in Columbia on Sunday, according to court documents.
Columbia police on Tuesday arrested a woman, two men and a juvenile in connection with a deadly shooting that took place in the 1400 block of Ridgemont Court on Sunday. They were charged Tuesday, as well.
All three 18-year-olds, Alexis Baumann, of Hallsville, Kobe Aust and Joseph Crane, both of Columbia, were charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and first-degree robbery.
A male juvenile is facing the same charges along with felony stealing. He is expected to have his first juvenile detention hearing in the case Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Court documents filed in the case say that Baumann and the group arranged to buy a phone from the victim, Michael R. Burke. The group had already met with and stolen from at least two other victims in the two days before the confrontation that led to Burke's death, documents say. Those incidents took place on Claudell Lane and on Northampton Drive.
Officers were sent to the 1400 block of Ridgemont Court at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday and found Burke shot.
Baumann allegedly told officers that the juvenile suspect shot Burke, took his iPhone, then sold it at an ecoATM at the Walmart on Conley Road.
Facebook provided information to police that helped tie the suspects to Burke's death as well. Ring doorbell and other security video connected them to the other crimes days prior, the probable cause statement says.
Flock cameras were also used by police to narrow down the car that the group was driving to commit the crimes in, a grey Toyota Venza, according to court documents. That car and the group were spotted at a gas station near where the shooting occurred in the 3800 block of Rangeline Street about 24 minutes before. They were also picked up driving down Stadium Boulevard near Providence Road in the minutes following the fatal gunfire, police allege. Police found clothes that belonged to the suspects near the scene, which investigators were able to use to link them to the other thefts, documents say.
The announcement of their arrest comes one day after the Columbia Police Department announced Burke, 42, of Columbia, died from injuries sustained during the shooting.
All three adults admitted to being at 1401 Ridgemont ct when the crime happened. Crane allegedly told officers where to find the gun he used in the 700 block of Hardin Street in Columbia. The gun had been reported stolen on Sept. 30.
Aust told officers where to find the second gun used by the juvenile suspect in the crime. The gun was recovered in a ziplock bag under the back porch of a home in the 4100 block of Quinton Court in Columbia.
The press release states this incident is still an active investigation.
Baumann, Aust and Crane were listed in the Boone County Jail on Tuesday without bond.
