Wayne County prosecutors on July 31 signed a warrant charging Matthews with first-degree murder for the 2003 strangulation.
“(The murder and rape) cases were recently able to be charged as a result of investigation by the police, aided by forensic evidence,” Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Maria Miller said.
According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Matthews also was sentenced to two years’ probation after pleading guilty in January 2002 to cocaine possession.
“On Nov. 7, 2000, DPD’s narcotic unit searched his home with a warrant and found him to be in possession of .25 grams of cocaine that was in his pants pocket,” MDOC spokesman Chris Gautz said. “Back in 2003, he stopped reporting to his probation officer and has been on absconder status since.”
Weinert said Matthews is expected to be extradited to Michigan to face murder and sexual assault charges within a few weeks. Miller said no decision has been made about whether to charge Matthews with absconding from probation.
Weinert said detectives are trying to determine if Matthews was involved in other homicides.
“We’re going through old files to see if other cases match the same M.O.,” Weinert said.”He’s a suspect in a 1999 homicide on (Detroit’s) west side, and we think there may be more. Texas (police) are looking through their cases, too; they suspect him in three homicides there. Also, there was a case in New York.”
Craig said measures have been put in place since 2003 to guard against warrants getting lost in the system.
“Why weren’t the detectives diligent in following up on their warrant 15 years ago? I can’t answer that, because I wasn’t here then,” Craig said. “But now, we track every not-in-custody warrant that’s been submitted for review.”
Craig said he’s convinced there are more Matthews victims.
“How many murders have been committed by this guy? And not just here in Michigan, but in other states? I have no doubt in my mind he’s a serial killer, and there are more women he’s killed.
“The way this case was handled is bad all around,” Craig said.
ghunter@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2134
Twitter: @GeorgeHunter_DN
Article Appeared @https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2018/08/07/suspected-serial-killer-freed-after-botched-detroit-murder-case/895445002/