A 15-year-old pleaded for his life as investigators say an elaborate plot lured him to his death

By Holly Yan, Bill Kirkos

(CNN) — In the hours leading up to Miles Young’s death, the 15-year-old thought he was just going to meet up with a girl. Instead, authorities say, he was ambushed in a complex scheme and killed while he pleaded for his life.

“I just don’t wanna die,” the Missouri teen said, according to court documents.

Miles was gunned down last month while being chased by two suspects, a Greene County detective wrote in court filings.

Yefry Archaga and Praize King, both 18, now face first-degree murder charges in connection with Miles’ death. Archaga is also listed as Archaga Elvir and Archaga-Elvir in court documents.

Authorities have not released a motive for the killing. But two witnesses said the girl who lured Miles to the scene of his death “blamed Miles for the death of the victim in a 2025 homicide case,” the detective wrote in a probable cause statement for Archaga.

The killing has become a political flashpoint for supporters of tougher immigration reform/enforcement in Missouri. Archaga, one of the suspects, came to the US from Honduras as a child, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Archaga’s attorney said his client was raised in Missouri, and his background has nothing to do with the case.

Here’s what we know about the tragedy and aftermath:

How the plot unfolded

Archaga, another adult suspect and the female juvenile suspect were driving around Springfield in a dark Mercedes when they discussed “setting up” Miles, the probable cause statement said. Two other juveniles were also in the car.

The five people went to an apartment complex in Springfield to get a second vehicle, belonging to the sister of one of the suspects, the detective wrote.

That’s when the group split up. The young female suspect drove the Mercedes alone to pick up Miles, while the four others got into the second vehicle, the court document says.

Around 2:15 a.m. March 12, the young female suspect arrived at a Springfield home to pick up Miles, “providing him with the belief the two would be having sexual intercourse,” the detective wrote.

At the time, Miles was with a juvenile witness and also on the phone with another, the statement said.

The two witnesses – identified in court documents as “W1” and “W2” – warned Miles against leaving with the girl. Both felt it was a “set up,” as the young female suspect – identified as “J1” – had previously mentioned her dislike for Miles, the probable cause statement said.

“W1 and W2 reported J1 blamed Miles for the death of the victim in a 2025 homicide case.”

The prosecutor in the Miles Young case said he could not comment on any details of the investigation, such as whether or how Miles may have been connected to the 2025 homicide, which 2025 homicide the juveniles were referring to, or whether Miles was set to testify in that case.

“As the Miles Young homicide involves multiple pending criminal cases, and an open criminal investigation, I am not in a position to provide either a statement, or any additional details beyond those which are in publicly available court documents,” Greene County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Harrel wrote in an email to CNN.

On the day of his death, Miles stayed on the phone with W2 as the young female suspect drove Miles in the Mercedes, the probable cause statement said. They turned onto a street and were blocked by the car with the other suspects.

Miles got out of the Mercedes and fled. He was chased by Archaga, who was wearing a black ski mask and carrying a “Glock-style” pistol, a witness from the other car said. The other adult suspect also got out of the second car and started chasing Miles.

Throughout the chase, Miles was still on the phone with one of the witnesses, who “described hearing Miles fall to the ground or drop his phone” in front of a home, the detective wrote.

“W2 hears a gunshot, followed by Miles stating, ‘I just don’t wanna die,’” the detective wrote.

“W2 then heard the sound of two more gunshots. W2 then disconnected the phone call with Miles, and contacted W1 to notify them of what they had heard.”

The first witness, who was with Miles when he was picked up, owns the cell phone that Miles was carrying, the probable cause statement says. That witness used Apple’s “Find My” app to locate the phone and went to the subdivision and house where it was detected.

The witness found Miles “lying on the ground with a substantial amount of blood” and called 911, the court document states. Miles was taken to a local hospital, where he was declared dead with a single gunshot wound to his chest.

Suspect’s immigration status sparks debate

In addition to his first-degree murder charge, Archaga “currently has an active probable cause warrant for 1st degree assault from an incident in February 2026,” the detective wrote in his March 13 probable cause statement.

“Yefry Archaga is now the suspect in 2 separate assault investigations involving a firearm. Through investigation it is learned that Yefry is affiliated with the gang 1300 with no remorse for his actions. An unconfirmed report is that Yefry made a phone call after shooting Miles, and was braggadocios about the incident.”

The Department of Homeland Security denounced Archaga’s presence in the country and what it described as lax immigration policies from previous administrations.

“Archaga-Elvir was first arrested in Texas as an accompanied minor in 2015,” DHS said in a statement last week. “The Obama Administration released him into the country.”

DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an arrest detainer for Archaga.

Missouri State Sen. Curtis Trent said the circumstances of the case “underscore how much work is yet to be done.”

“In this case, if there had not been an illegal alien present in the jurisdiction, it’s very likely that the scenario that we’re dealing with (would) be very different.”

But Archaga came to the US with his parents when he was 6 years old, his attorney Adam Woody said. He said he wasn’t certain whether Archaga’s family sought asylum.

“He has not had the opportunity to obtain full legal status,” Woody said. He said he believes Archaga and an immigration attorney were “starting to work on that process.”

Archaga’s nationality and background are “completely irrelevant,” he said.

“He was raised here in Missouri. He went to school in Missouri. He doesn’t even speak with an accent. He’s – for all intents and purposes – Missourian,” Woody said.

“The real story and the sadness is there were all teenagers involved in this,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s been twisted and portrayed to include his nationality, and that’s completely irrelevant.”

The public defender representing Praize King, the other man charged with first-degree murder, said she was unable to comment on the case.

‘No parents should ever have to outlive and bury their child’

Miles was “a compassionate, loving, and kind 15-year-old who brought light to everyone around him,” according to a verified GoFundMe account established to help his family.

“He was a big brother, a son, a grandson, and a friend. He had a beautiful heart, was full of life, and always showed care for others.”

Miles’ mother declined to be interviewed but gave CNN permission to publish her son’s photo. The organizer of the GoFundMe page said the mother’s grief over Miles’ death is unfathomable.

“His loss has left his family, friends, and community heartbroken, as no parent should ever have to outlive and bury their child.”

CNN’s Nic F. Anderson, Stephen Watts, Whitney Wild and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.

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