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Leaundra Matthews, 25, of Accokeek, was found guilty of second-degree murder for the death of her brother, Christian Matthews, who was strangled during an attack by Matthews' boyfriend, Tyson Lipford and another man, Daniel Howard, while he was asleep in their family's Silver Spring home in March 2017.
Court documents show that Leaundra told her mom that Howard held him down as Lipford choked him. At the time the murder was going down, she was on the phone with her.
According to court documents, on the night of his murder, officers arrived at the house and found Christian Matthews unresponsive. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring and later pronounced dead.
Leaundra’s twin sister, Lemae Matthews, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact in October 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced when Howard’s trial concludes.
She told a harrowing tale at her trial describing the night of the murder, when she said Leaundra came into her room and asked her to watch her baby before picking up Howard and her boyfriend to bring them to the Montgomery County home.
Lemae Matthews was told that they were coming to “handle” her brother, stating that she knew they wanted to kill him, but hoped that she would just beat him up instead.
Leaundra was on the phone with her sister when she dropped off Howard and Lipford, who put on rubber gloves and then went downstairs to where Christian Matthews was sleeping.
She said that she heard what sounded like furniture being slammed around and her brother yelling “Stop, stop,” but she never said anything because she was afraid Howard would come after her.
“While we were still in the car (Howard) told everyone to keep it ‘Omerta.’ I know that ‘Omerta,’means to stay silent or not tell anyone about what had happened,” the twin sister said. “I told Leaundra that I wanted to call 911. I still was hoping that Christian was just injured and not dead.”
Lemae Matthews added that a month before the murder she heard her sister telling the two men she wanted her brother “gone,” explaining that he had brother had issues with Lipford, who was the mother of their child, and was expecting a second at the time.
Leaundra previously asked her mother to kick Christian out of the house before his murder, though she did not.
“Leaundra didn’t want me to call 911 and we argued about whether I could call 911,” Lemae Matthews continued. “Eventually Leaundra agreed to let me call 911 but told me I had to wait until we got back home.
“(She) told me exactly what to say on 911 and to the police when they interviewed me. I lied to 911 and the police because I was scared of what (Howard) would do if I told the truth.”
Officials said that there were bruises on Christian Matthews’ neck at the time he was found by first responders. His cause of death was determined to be asphyxia and manner determined to be a homicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“(Leaundra Matthews) was integral to the plot to kill Christian Matthews and served as the driver, both to and from, the scene of the murder,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said. “She executed a significant cover up operation to deflect responsibility … “She will now be held accountable.”
When she is sentenced in January 2024, Matthews will face up to 30 years in prison.
Lipford, 26, was convicted in January 2019 on a murder charge and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Howard is scheduled to go to trial in April next year.
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