A quiet neighborhood in Columbia, Missouri, was shaken when 42-year-old Marine Corps veteran Michael Ryan Burke was fatally shot during what police say was a planned robbery tied to a Facebook Marketplace transaction. Burke had arranged to sell his iPhone to someone online and shared his home address, unaware he was being targeted. When suspects arrived, a violent confrontation unfolded, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite his injuries, Burke managed to call 911 and send farewell messages to his mother and sister, expressing love in what would become his final moments. Investigators later revealed this was not an isolated incident—the suspects had allegedly carried out similar phone robberies in recent days, using online marketplace listings to lure victims.

Days later, police arrested four suspects, including three 18-year-olds and a juvenile, charging them with murder, robbery, and burglary. Friends and family remembered Burke as a man of faith, a decorated veteran, and a missionary who spent years serving others across the world. Tributes poured in, describing him as fearless in confronting darkness with compassion and conviction. His death stunned those who knew him, especially given the dangerous missions he survived abroad, only to lose his life at home in a senseless act of violence. As the investigation continues, the community mourns a life devoted to service while seeking justice for his tragic end.