Yucca No More

Can you kill a yucca plant in the southwest? Apparently you can.

The bit of greenery in the middle of the dead stalks is a weed.

One day it was green and spiky and then one day it was brown and spiky. I think it's gone.

It used to look like this. 

It was here, planted along the side fence, when we moved in. I did nothing to care for it, no supplemental water and a lot of neglect, which is supposed to make yuccas thrive. That approach didn't work and this yucca is no more.