A woman in Missouri who already confessed to murdering the man she cheated with is now switching up her story and blaming her boyfriend!
According to multiple outlets, 25-year-old McKayla C. Archambeau pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with evidence, and tampering with a motor vehicle in August following the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Taylor Hawkins in 2022. Her boyfriend, 35-year-old Cordero T. Cervantes, was charged with tampering with evidence and tampering with a motor vehicle at the same time for his involvement in the incident. However, he did not get charged with murder… not until three years later!
KCTV reported that Cervantes is facing a second-degree murder charge for Hawkins’ death as of Monday. And it is all because Archambeau changed her story, telling police that it was her boyfriend who forced her to pull the trigger after she cheated on him with the victim a week before! Whoa! Here’s what happened…
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The Day Of The Shooting
Police responded to a report of a shooting at a Platte City home back in October 2022. When cops arrived at the scene, they found Hawkins dead behind a barn on the property. A witness told law enforcement it was Archambeau who shot the victim, so they launched a search for both her and Cervantes, stating that it’s believed they were in a relationship and “armed and dangerous.”
The pair fled the state following the shooting. Per KCTV, Cervantes and Archambeau left the scene separately before reconnecting. Along the way, investigators discovered they ditched their electronic devices, and Archambeau threw the gun into a river in Illinois. They also drove to Columbia a day after the crime, where they printed off directions to get to Spruce Pine, North Carolina. They made it as far as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, before they heard they were wanted in Missouri. At that point, police said they started to head back to Platte County. The couple was ultimately arrested in Carlisle, Arkansas.
What The Witness Said
During the investigation over the years, police said a witness provided key details about what happened that day. The witness claimed the only people present for the shooting were himself, Hawkins, Archambeau, and Cervantes. Law&Crime reported that he was helping Hawkins unload boxes at the home when Hawkins and Cervantes started to argue. The situation allegedly escalated when the two men went behind the barn with Archambeau to hash things out. The witness alleged he heard Hawkins upset and say one last thing before he died:
“No, why’d you do it?”
Around the same time, according to law enforcement, a single shot rang out. The witness said Cervantes then reappeared from behind the barn “with a smirk on his face.” After that, the witness told cops he ran for his life.
How chilling…
Their Police Interviews
Despite Cervantes’ suspicious reaction, Archambeau was charged with the actual shooting. Law&Crime, KCTV, and KMBC reported that a probable cause affidavit stated police learned she and Hawkins slept together about a week before his death. They believed Hawkins came to the impression that Archambeau would leave Cervantes to be with him following their encounter. But per court filings, investigators claimed Archambeau and Cervantes were in an on-and-off again relationship, and she often stepped out to hook up with ex-boyfriends. This supposedly was nothing new for her…
Throughout their interviews with police, KCTV reported the Sheriff’s Office said both claimed Hawkins had raped her. And on the day of the shooting, Cervantes claimed Hawkins came to the home to fight him. He alleged Hawkins hit him, but he was a “pacifist,” so he did not retaliate.
For her part, investigators said Archambeau was not truthful during her interviews in July 2022. She allegedly told several different stories about how she shot Hawkins, but the evidence from the scene disputed all her claims. Police claimed Archambeau said Hawkins had a knife on him when they started to fight, so she ran to her bag, grabbed her firearm, and shot him in the abdomen. She then alleged Hawkins grabbed the knife and began to lunge for Cervantes, so she shot him in the back. Here’s the thing, though. Police said they never found a knife at the scene.
According to law enforcement, Archambeau also maintained she was the sole shooting and the only person responsible for Hawkins’ deaht for years. She ultimately pleaded guilty to all the charges in August 2025. However, that is not the end of this case!
Her Story Changes
A month later, investigators sat down to talk with Archambeau again — and she had a letter for them. When asked, law enforcement said she confirmed she wrote it and admitted she cheated on Cervantes with Hawkins and that he “was mad and made me kill him.” OMG! Archambeau claimed she was told to leave her weapon for Cervantes, and he would take Hawkins out to a field and convince him to commit suicide.
When Archambeau didn’t leave the firearm, he became angry and looked at her with “such rage in his eyes.” She reportedly 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…” After Cervantes gave her the look, Archambeau said she became terrified, so she shot Hawkins. He started to run, so Cervantes allegedly ordered her to “finish him.” Awful…
Furthermore, when asked if Cervantes was ever abusive, Archambeau said she had come to believe he was in the years since the shooting. The affidavit stated she claimed Cervantes would hit her in bed while she was sleeping, but he always blamed it on nightmares. She noted she had noticed a pattern that the nightmare assaults only seemed to happen on nights after they had argued.
Arrest Warrant
At this time, there is a warrant out for Cervantes’ arrest. He is currently not in custody as he was released on probation following the lesser charges in 2022. Anyone with any information that could lead to his arrest is asked to report it to the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said in a statement following the case update:
“This was a brutal and senseless killing. We allege this defendant played a direct role in the death of another man, and then fled the state to avoid justice. Platte County detectives and their law enforcement partners have worked tirelessly to allow us to bring these charges.”
Meanwhile, Archambeau is expected to be sentenced on November 14. Hopefully, prosecutors will get justice for Hawkins’ horrible death.
[Image via Platte County Sheriff’s Office]
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