Missouri Man Accused of Forcing Girlfriend to Kill Her Ex in Jealous Rage
PLATTE CITY, MISSOURI — Prosecutors in Missouri say a man convinced his girlfriend to shoot and kill her former lover out of jealousy, telling her to “finish him” after learning she had slept with the victim.
35-year-old Cordero T. Cervantes now faces a second-degree murder charge in the June 2022 killing of 31-year-old Taylor Hawkins, according to charging documents filed Monday in Platte County Circuit Court.
The case, which began as a bizarre love triangle and quickly turned deadly, has taken years to unravel — exposing a twisted web of jealousy, manipulation, and abuse that ended with one man dead and two people fleeing the state.
Jealous Rage Turns Deadly
Investigators say the fatal shooting happened behind a barn at a property on Oberdiek Lane in Platte City, roughly 25 miles northwest of Kansas City.
According to a witness, Hawkins and Cervantes had been arguing near the barn when a gunshot suddenly rang out. The witness said Hawkins’ last words were:
“No, why’d you do it?”
Moments later, Cervantes allegedly walked out from behind the barn “with a smirk on his face.” The witness fled for his life. Deputies soon found Hawkins shot dead in the yard.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office immediately named Cervantes and his girlfriend, 25-year-old McKayla Archambeau, as suspects and warned the public that the pair were “armed and dangerous.”
Manipulation and Murder
Investigators later discovered that Archambeau and Hawkins had been romantically involved about a week before the murder. The revelation reportedly enraged Cervantes, who believed Hawkins wanted to take Archambeau away from him.
In a stunning confession, Archambeau later told detectives that Cervantes ordered her to carry out the killing herself.
“He wanted me to be the one to kill Taylor because I was the one that had slept with him,” Archambeau said in a police interview. “[Cervantes] was mad and made me kill him.”
Court records allege Cervantes told her “he needs to go” and instructed her to “finish him.”
Initially, Archambeau told police she shot Hawkins in self-defense after he lunged at Cervantes with a knife. But she later admitted that story was a lie — and that Cervantes forced her to pull the trigger after a failed plot to convince Hawkins to kill himself.
Couple Fled the State
After the shooting, both suspects allegedly fled Missouri for Arkansas, where they were later arrested.
In August 2025, Archambeau pleaded guilty to murder, armed criminal action, and evidence tampering. Her sentencing is set for November 14.
Cervantes, meanwhile, had previously pleaded guilty to tampering with a motor vehicle in the case and was released on probation. Following the new murder charges, a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Prosecutors Condemn the Killing
Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd called the case “a brutal and senseless killing,” saying the evidence shows Cervantes “played a direct role in the death of another man and then fled the state to avoid justice.”
Court documents also detail years of alleged abuse, with Archambeau telling detectives that Cervantes would hit her at night and later claim he did so in his sleep.
“At first, he said it was nightmares,” she told investigators. “But it only happened after we fought.”
Authorities believe the killing stemmed from a toxic cycle of control, jealousy, and violence that eventually erupted into murder.
The tragic case underscores the deadly consequences of manipulation and domestic abuse — a relationship that turned fatal when anger and control overtook reason.
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