Ear Hustle

Chicago Man Allegedly Killed Rapper Twista’s Bodyguard Over Foreign Money

matthew jackson

A Chatham man shot and slashed the throat of rapper Twista’s bodyguard in February after the man’s girlfriend saw the bodyguard with “foreign money” at a second woman’s apartment, prosecutors said today.

Matthew X. Jackson, 25, was ordered held without bail on charges of murder and armed robbery in the death of Davy Easterling, 31. Easterling was found dead in the bedroom of an apartment around 6 a.m. on Feb. 21 after firefighters were called to a burning building in the 8300 block of South Baker Avenue, officials said. An autopsy found he had died of  multiple gunshot wounds.

Jackson killed Easterling in a robbery scheme after Jackson’s girlfriend and a second woman were hanging out with Easterling Feb. 20, and Jackson’s girlfriend saw Easterling had foreign cash, according to Cook County State’s Attorney Beth Novy.

Easterling, Jackson’s girlfriend and the second woman were drinking at the second woman’s apartment–the apartment on South Baker–that night when the two women got into an argument, and Jackson’s girlfriend went home, prosecutors said. The girlfriend told Jackson about the dispute and seeing the foreign cash, and they went back to the second woman’s apartment.

At the apartment, Jackson confronted Easterling, pointed a gun at him, and demanded the foreign currency, prosecutors said. Jackson then shot Easterling in the mouth and torso, prosecutors said. Jackson then went to the kitchen, got a knife, and went back to where Easterling was and cut his throat.

Jackson took the cash and Easterling’s clothing, then went outside with the women. Jackson, of the 8000 block of South Champlain Avenue, drove to his apartment in Easterling’s car and the women drove there in the girlfriend’s car, prosecutors said.

At his apartment, Jackson “told the women to find flammable liquids,” according to prosecutors.

Later, Easterling’s car was found burned inside and out a few blocks from where Jackson lived.

After firefighters found Easterling’s body in the second woman’s apartment, the Fire Department’s Office of Fire Investigations determined the fire was started by someone.

At the time that Easterling was shot, Jackson had been free on bail after being charged in a burglary and attempted robbery that took place about 7:30 p.m. June 12, 2013, in the 7800 block of South Constance Avenue, according to court records.

Originally, Jackson’s bail was set at $100,000 in the case, but when it was transferred to Cook County Domestic Violence Court, Judge Diana Kenworthy reduced his bail to $25,000, and records show that after he was indicted and the case transferred to the Bridgeview Branch Court, he eventually was released on bond in early February, sometime before Easterling was killed.

The day Easterling was found dead, Twista posted messages on Twitter and Instagram saying Easterling, his bodyguard and “close friend,” had been missing for three days.

“#RIP Davy Easterling aka 6’9 I have lost too many good friends to these streets,” Twista sent out on his verified Twitter account.
Twista has represented Chicago in his music for two decades. He previously was known as Tung Twista.

State records indicate Easterling had received a firearms training certificate that would enable him to carry a gun as a security guard.

After Jackson failed to show up for an April court hearing in the 2013 burglary case, a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested again and back in jail May 1, facing charges of violating bail bond, possession of a firearm without a valid state firearm identification card and possession of a controlled substance. Court and police records show that the charges related to Easterling’s killing, although Jackson was not immediately charged with murder in the case.

Source: Chicago Tribune

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