FAMILY TIES

Twin Sisters Charged With Helping Choke Own Brother to Death

“He had to go,” a remorseless Leaundra Matthews allegedly told her mom and aunt after Christian Matthews was murdered at their Maryland home.

Two years ago, Tysean Lipford was sentenced to 30 years in prison for choking 17-year-old Christian Matthews to death at his Maryland home. On Friday, the Montgomery County Department of Police announced arrests and first-degree murder charges against three additional suspects in Matthews’ killing—two of whom happen to be his own sisters. Lemae and Leaundra Matthews, 23-year-old twins, were arrested after detectives collected enough evidence to prosecute them for allegedly assisting Lipford in eliminating Matthews. Charging documents filed in the case state that Leaundra and Lipford had a baby together, and that she was pregnant with his second child. Leaundra told Lipford her brother had threatened to harm her and the baby, and that “he had to go,” the documents reveal, also alleging that a remorseless Leaundra admitted to her mom and aunt that she had been part of the plot. A third suspect, 25-year-old Daniel “Ghost” Howard, held Christian Matthews down as Lipford strangled him, according to the filing. “Make sure yall shit str8 n omerta,” Lipford allegedly texted to Leaundra after the murder. All three are now being held without bond.