Md. Woman Conspired with Her Twin Sister to Murder Their Brother

Mar. 15, 2025

Leaundra Matthews.Photo:Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s OfficeA woman from Maryland has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after authorities say she conspired with her boyfriend and twin sister to kill her brother in 2017.According toABC 7, Leaundra Matthews was sentenced on Monday after her 17-year-old brother Christian Matthews was strangled to death in his sleep in 2017. According toFox 5, Leaundra’s boyfriend, Tysean Lipford, strangled Christian while another man, Daniel Howard, allegedly held him down.Fox 5 also reported that text messages between Leaundra and Lipford linked her to her brother’s murder. She also allegedly admitted to being involved in the murder to her mother and aunt. Leaundra was convicted of second-degree murder in August,WUSA 9reports.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Christian Matthews.Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s OfficeAccording toABC 7, court officials say Leaundra’s sister, Lemae Matthews, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in October 2021. She has not yet been sentenced.Leaundra, who shares a child with Lipford and was pregnant with another at the time of the murder, allegedly told Lipford that Christian had threatened her and their child and that “he had to go,” Fox 5 reports, citing charging documents.Lipford was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in 2017. In 2019 he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years.According to a2017 statementfrom the Montgomery County Police Department, police were called on March 21, 2017, at 2:25 am to the Matthews’ residence after receiving a report of a loud commotion from the basement, which was where Christian lived.Leaundra Matthews.Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s OfficeThe Matthews sisters asked officers to search the home, leading to them finding Christian unresponsive in his basement bedroom.He was then pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital. Officers also found suspicious marks on Christian’s neck.“After four years of intense investigative work, probable cause was developed to charge the Matthews sisters, and Daniel Juwan Howard with first-degree murder,” Montgomery County Police Department’sstatement readat the time.Howard’s trial is scheduled for April 2024, Fox 5 reports. Lemae will be sentenced after Howard’s trial concludes.

Leaundra Matthews.Photo:Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office

Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office

A woman from Maryland has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after authorities say she conspired with her boyfriend and twin sister to kill her brother in 2017.According toABC 7, Leaundra Matthews was sentenced on Monday after her 17-year-old brother Christian Matthews was strangled to death in his sleep in 2017. According toFox 5, Leaundra’s boyfriend, Tysean Lipford, strangled Christian while another man, Daniel Howard, allegedly held him down.Fox 5 also reported that text messages between Leaundra and Lipford linked her to her brother’s murder. She also allegedly admitted to being involved in the murder to her mother and aunt. Leaundra was convicted of second-degree murder in August,WUSA 9reports.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Christian Matthews.Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s OfficeAccording toABC 7, court officials say Leaundra’s sister, Lemae Matthews, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in October 2021. She has not yet been sentenced.Leaundra, who shares a child with Lipford and was pregnant with another at the time of the murder, allegedly told Lipford that Christian had threatened her and their child and that “he had to go,” Fox 5 reports, citing charging documents.Lipford was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in 2017. In 2019 he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years.According to a2017 statementfrom the Montgomery County Police Department, police were called on March 21, 2017, at 2:25 am to the Matthews’ residence after receiving a report of a loud commotion from the basement, which was where Christian lived.Leaundra Matthews.Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s OfficeThe Matthews sisters asked officers to search the home, leading to them finding Christian unresponsive in his basement bedroom.He was then pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital. Officers also found suspicious marks on Christian’s neck.“After four years of intense investigative work, probable cause was developed to charge the Matthews sisters, and Daniel Juwan Howard with first-degree murder,” Montgomery County Police Department’sstatement readat the time.Howard’s trial is scheduled for April 2024, Fox 5 reports. Lemae will be sentenced after Howard’s trial concludes.

A woman from Maryland has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after authorities say she conspired with her boyfriend and twin sister to kill her brother in 2017.

According toABC 7, Leaundra Matthews was sentenced on Monday after her 17-year-old brother Christian Matthews was strangled to death in his sleep in 2017. According toFox 5, Leaundra’s boyfriend, Tysean Lipford, strangled Christian while another man, Daniel Howard, allegedly held him down.

Fox 5 also reported that text messages between Leaundra and Lipford linked her to her brother’s murder. She also allegedly admitted to being involved in the murder to her mother and aunt. Leaundra was convicted of second-degree murder in August,WUSA 9reports.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Christian Matthews.Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office

According toABC 7, court officials say Leaundra’s sister, Lemae Matthews, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in October 2021. She has not yet been sentenced.

Leaundra, who shares a child with Lipford and was pregnant with another at the time of the murder, allegedly told Lipford that Christian had threatened her and their child and that “he had to go,” Fox 5 reports, citing charging documents.

Lipford was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in 2017. In 2019 he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years.

According to a2017 statementfrom the Montgomery County Police Department, police were called on March 21, 2017, at 2:25 am to the Matthews’ residence after receiving a report of a loud commotion from the basement, which was where Christian lived.

Leaundra Matthews.Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office

The Matthews sisters asked officers to search the home, leading to them finding Christian unresponsive in his basement bedroom.

He was then pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital. Officers also found suspicious marks on Christian’s neck.

“After four years of intense investigative work, probable cause was developed to charge the Matthews sisters, and Daniel Juwan Howard with first-degree murder,” Montgomery County Police Department’sstatement readat the time.

Howard’s trial is scheduled for April 2024, Fox 5 reports. Lemae will be sentenced after Howard’s trial concludes.

source: people.com