By Carol Stark

cstark@joplinglobe.com

NEOSHO, Mo. — Anthony Maples and other members of his church youth group spent Saturday night playing video games, sharing stories and joking with each other during a gathering at his pastor’s home.

The Rev. Bill Doubek, pastor of the First Lutheran Church of Neosho, said Maples, 16, was laughing with friends and seemed fine when he left his home at 1 a.m. on Sunday.

But later Sunday morning, Lynette Maples heard her son moan. When she went into his room, his head was hanging over the bed and he was unresponsive, according to an accounting released by the medical examiner. The Neosho High School junior remained in that condition as he was being life-flighted to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

By Thursday, Maples was dead.

Officials are in hopes that an autopsy conducted Friday will answer questions surrounding the teen’s death, but Doubek said hospital officials had performed exhaustive tests on Maples hoping to find the cause of his illness.

“When Anthony was taken off his ventilator on Thursday just before he died, doctors had absolutely no idea why he was dying,” said Doubek.

Newton County Coroner Mark Bridges on Friday confirmed the death of Maples, of 1301 Pineville Road, Neosho.

Doubek said Maple’s parents, Tim and Lynette Maples, have returned to their home to make funeral arrangements for their son.

“He was a wonderful young man and was as close to my two sons as a brother,” said Doubek.

“As word of his illness spread throughout the community, teens gathered at the church on Wednesday night — more than 100 of them — and prayed for Anthony. We are all devastated by this young man’s death.”

Neosho High School Principal Darren Cook said Maples was active in the high school’s Key Club, a service organization and he was a three-year wood-tech student.

Cook said teachers, on Friday, were provided with a statement they could read to their students, and counselors were pulled in from throughout the district to offer grief counseling.

“Many of our students knew that Anthony was ill and had been sending cards and well wishes to the hospital in Kansas City,” said Cook. “Some of his friends had gone to visit his family. The finality of his death has been difficult,” said Cook.