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DeAndre Matthews

Source: Matthews family / abc

There is nothing more devastating than a mother losing her son. 

This was the reality for Danielle Matthews, whose 19-year-old son DeAndre Matthews went missing in Brooklyn, New York Feb. 7.  

MORE: The Mysterious Disappearance Of Rasheem Carter: Mississippi Man’s Family Wants Answers

Danielle was determined to find her son, so she used her SUV’s tracking function to try to locate her son. When she located the vehicle, she called the police.

“When the police opened the door, smoke was coming out of my back seat,” Danielle Matthews told ABC News. “I knew my son was gone from that moment.”

DeAndre Matthews’ body was found a few hours later by police on the freight train tracks near Nostrand Avenue in Flatbush.  

According to police, there were significant burns throughout DeAndre’s body, a gunshot wound in his head and signs of smoke inhalation. DeAndre’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head with perforation of the skull and brain, according to the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. His death was ruled a homicide. 

The mysterious death of DeAndre Matthews has left the family searching for answers. DeAndre’s mother believes her son could have been a victim of a hate crime because he was gay. She also believes DeAndre could have met his murderer online.

“DeAndre is so gullible. My baby trusted everybody and I hate that about him,” Danielle Matthews said. “DeAndre thought nobody would harm him.”

According to reports, the day before his death, DeAndre asked to borrow his mother’s SUV. He left his house around 5:45 pm and that was the last time his mother would see him alive.

“I’m hurt. I’m angry. I’m lost. That was my first child,” said Danielle Matthews. “He was my first true love. He taught me how to be a mother. So, to them killers, they have no idea what they did.”

Danielle described her son as a loving boy who adored his family and just wanted to help people. He also attended SUNY Broome Community College where he was studying criminal justice.

“He felt he could have made things better in the world,” Danielle Matthews said. “But he’s still going to make it better because we’re going to keep DeAndre’s name alive. We’re going to keep fighting for DeAndre.”

DeAndre Matthews’ mysterious death is currently under investigation, but no arrests have been made by police. 

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