News Releases

Update: Suspect Arrested for Silver Spring Suspicious Death Now Determined to be a Homicide

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 24, 2017

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police - Major Crimes Division have made an arrest in their investigation of the suspicious death, now determined to be a homicide, that occurred on March 21, in the victim’s residence in the 1000 block of Mondrian Terrace in Silver Spring.

The victim is identified as 17-year-old Christian Leroy Matthews of the above block address.

Yesterday evening (March 23), investigators arrested Tysean A Lipford, age 19, of 13th Street in Silver Spring and charged him with the first-degree murder of Matthews. Lipford, identified as the father of the victim's niece, confessed to the killing.

Investigation by detectives determined that on Tuesday, March 21 at approximately 2:25 a.m., the Emergency Communications Center (911 Center) received a call reporting a suspicious situation from the Mondrian Terrace address. Residents of the home reported hearing a large commotion coming from the basement, where the victim lived, and called 9-1-1.

Officers responded to the home and searched the residence at the request of the occupants, the victim's sisters. The officers located Matthews unresponsive in his basement bedroom. During an examination of the body, officers observed suspicious marks to the victim's neck. Matthews was transported by Fire and Rescue personnel to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Lipford is scheduled to have a bond review today at 1:00 p.m. in Rockville District Court.

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RLI/LEHB

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Release ID: 17-087
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: homicide