‘Heart of gold’: Fundraiser started for family of man killed in Platte County shooting

Bill Lukitsch
·1 min read
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An online fundraiser has been created seeking donations for the family of a 31-year-old man who was shot and killed in rural Platte County last week.

The GoFundMe webpage says Taylor Hawkins was a man with a “heart of gold” who loved his friends, his mother and music. He was a supportive and loving son who made helping his mother a priority, the webpage says, especially recently as she was out of work after a recent surgery.

The fundraiser seeks financial help to organize a memorial service for Hawkins as well as financial assistance for his mother. As of Tuesday night, the fundraiser had generated roughly $11,500 toward its $25,000 goal.

Hawkins was killed June 28. Platte County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in the 2800 block of Oberdieck Lane, near Farley, around 7:40 p.m. on a reported shooting there. Hawkins was found dead in the front yard.

On the morning after the killing, the Platte County Sheriff’s Office released photographs and descriptions of two persons of interest sought in connection with the homicide. They are 22-year-old McKayla Cheyenne Archambeau and 32-year-old Cordero Thomas Cervantes.

Authorities believe the pair to be armed and dangerous. Deputies were still asking the public for help locating them as of Tuesday afternoon. Major Erik Holland, a Platte County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, also said in a statement that investigators were working with various law enforcement agencies in an effort to find them.

The Platte County Sheriff’s Office is looking for 22-year-old McKayla Cheyenne Archambeau, left, and 32-year-old Cordero Thomas Cervantes as persons of interest in a fatal shooting Tuesday evening in rural Platte County. The sheriff’s office considers to be armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees them are asked to call their local law enforcement.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office is looking for 22-year-old McKayla Cheyenne Archambeau, left, and 32-year-old Cordero Thomas Cervantes as persons of interest in a fatal shooting Tuesday evening in rural Platte County. The sheriff’s office considers to be armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees them are asked to call their local law enforcement.

Police were asking anyone with information about the killing or the location of the persons of interest to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) or the Platte County Sheriff’s Office at 816-858-3521.

The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this report.