Platte City man killed in late June shooting remembered for his love of friends, music

Update: The Platte County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday afternoon that the two persons of interest sought for questioning had been taken into custody by an out-of-state law enforcement agency.

On a recent day in late June, Taylor Hawkins was on the phone with one of his closest friends, reminding her that he would keep the promise he made.

He was planning to start teaching her kids to play music. It was a trade off they agreed to not long ago after she gave him her electric guitar, his longtime friend Sarah Muntean recalled during an interview with The Star on Wednesday.

“I’ve got three boys, and my five year old and three year old play guitar, and we have a drum set, too. And Taylor would come over and they would play together,” said Muntean, 32, of Kansas City.

“And that day that he called, he said: ‘Just to let you know, I haven’t forgot about our deal. I’m ready to start teaching the boys to play.’”

It was a promise Hawkins never had the chance to fulfill. A few days later, as she was scrolling through Facebook, Muntean said she was shocked and heartbroken to read a brief message from Hawkins’ mother saying he had been murdered the night before.

Hawkins, 31, was shot and killed on the evening of June 28 in a remote part of Platte County. As of Wednesday, the homicide was still being investigated by the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and two people associated with Hawkins were being sought for questioning.

In the wake of Hawkins’ death, close friends said they are still coming to grips with the new reality. They described him as a caring, thoughtful, bright, funny, sociable and talented young man who counted many friends in Platte City, where he spent much of his life and resided with his mother.

“Everyone’s just really mad. Really mad,” said Gabby Laughlin, who met Hawkins in the 7th grade and whose husband and brother-in-law were also close friends. “It was senseless, and so stupid.”

Reached by phone briefly, Celeste Hawkins declined to speak at length, saying she was not emotionally ready to discuss her son’s death. She said his absence has been difficult for her and the family.

“The funeral director said I made the smart choice getting the larger church,” Celeste Hawkins said. “Because this one devastated the community.”

Shooting in rural Platte County

On June 28, shortly before 8 p.m., Platte County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 2800 block of Oberdiek Lane, a rural stretch surrounded by farmland.

Deputies found Taylor Hawkins dead of gunshot wounds in the yard of a residence when they arrived. The events that led up to the shooting remain unknown.

The next morning, the sheriff’s office publicly released photographs and descriptions of two persons of interest: McKayla C. Archambeau, 22, and Cordero T. Cervantes, 32.

Police have released little about Archambeau and Cervantes other than to say they are considered armed and dangerous.

Along with broadcasting the images to the public, Maj. Erik Holland, a Platte County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said other law enforcement agencies had been made aware of the desire to locate Archambeau and Cervantes. He said Wednesday that finding and questioning them was one of detectives’ highest priorities with regard to moving the case forward.

“Any information the public may have regarding their whereabouts is vital information for us,” Holland said.

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.

Friends of Hawkins said they know little about Cervantes and Archambeau, but that Hawkins had been acquainted with both. Cervantes attended the same schools and was close in age to Hawkins, they recalled, and Archambeau may have stayed with Hawkins for a brief time.

“We used to hang out with (Cervantes), but not anymore. He’s moved away, and come back worse for wear. And I don’t know the McKayla girl at all,” said Laughlin, 31, of Platte City, adding: “There’s still no details about it. I think they’re keeping it pretty quiet. Plus it’s a small town so rumors go around pretty fast.”

‘Nobody was expecting this’

Friends say the killing came as Hawkins was starting to get his life back on track after being derailed by COVID-19. He had returned to work as a server after being laid off from his job during the pandemic and was excited to start playing music with a Metallica tribute group in his off time, his friend Muntean said.

She said the situation was tough on Hawkins and he had dealt with bouts of depression during that time.

“This past month he’s been better than he’s been in like two years,” Muntean said. “It seemed like he was going back to that good place, and he had made a lot of phone calls to people before he died. Everybody said he just seemed like he was happier and better.”

Nobody was expecting this, and I think it hit people really, really hard,” she added.

Friends said Hawkins forged long-lasting relationships that dated back to his time as a student in Platte City schools. He wore a skater-style haircut at Platte City High, they recalled, and spent his days learning to play drums and guitar, idolizing groups like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Primus and Tool.

He was also remembered for helping bring friends closer together. Laughlin, who saw Hawkins stand among the groomsmen during her wedding in 2015, said he frequently visited her home to jam on the drum set, often taking song requests — even obscure ones, like the theme song to “The Powerpuff Girls” cartoon.

“He just played it by ear. I was amazed — like, he’d never practiced it before but he could listen to a song and play along with it,” Laughlin said.

Music remained a big part of his life throughout. He enjoyed going to concerts and played a few small venues himself, friends said. He was known for sporting his favorite band T-shirts at gatherings — or tie-dye ones.

Funeral services for Hawkins are scheduled to be held Saturday. Afterward, loved ones plan to gather for a household celebration of life that will include a jam session. Everyone is planning to wear their favorite band T-shirt in Hawkins’ honor, Laughlin said.

“I think Taylor would have really liked that,” said Laughlin. “He would always make fun of me for wearing the same Guns & Roses shirt all the time. So I bought a new one today.”