Investigators are looking for an Indiana man they say manipulated his girlfriend into killing an ex-lover three years ago.
Cordero Cervantes, 35, and McKayla Archambeau, 25, were both initially arrested in July 2022 in connection with the death of 31-year-old Taylor Hawkins a month earlier, as CrimeOnline reported.
Cervantes was initially indicted on one count each of tampering with evidence, and tampering with a motor vehicle. He pleaded guilty and was released on probation, but he is now charged with second degree murder in the case.
Archambeau was initially charged with second degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with a motor vehicle, and tampering with physical evidence. She pleaded guilty to those charges in August and is awaiting sentencing next week, KCTV reported.
New information from Archambeau led to the new charges against Cervantes. She told investigators that she had slept with Hawkins a week before the killing and that Cervantes had been angry “and made me kill him.”
She said that the plan had been for her to leave her gun for Cervantes, who would convince Hawkins to kill himself with it. When she didn’t leave the gun, Cervantes became angry.
According to the probable cause statement, Archambeau, who made the statements after her guilty plea, said that Cervantes looked at her with “such rage in his eyes” that she thought “he wanted me to be the one to kill Taylor because I was the one that had slept with him and I didn’t leave the gun behind.”
She said she shot Hawkins, who began to run, and Cervantes ordered her to “finish him,” so she shot him again, this time in the back.
Another witness, who had been at the scene when Hawkins was shot but did not see the incident, told investigators that Hawkins had been paranoid Cervantes would retaliate against him because he’d slept with Archambeau.
A warrant has been issued for Cervantes’ arrest. Anyone with information should report it to the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
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[Featured image: Cordero Cervantes and McKayla Archambeau/Platte County Sheriff’s Office]
