Lewiston man accused of murder in Illinois

A Lewiston man accused of participating in a 2020 murder in Illinois is being extradited to the Prairie State.

Cody Matthews, 29, was taken into custody under heavy police presence, but without incident, at the Lewiston Albertsons store Tuesday.

“We were contacted by the (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) and advised Cody Matthews had an arrest warrant out of Illinois for murder and he was living in our jurisdiction,” said Lewiston Detective Sgt. Nick Eyler. “We assisted them by locating him and taking him into custody.”

Matthews, who previously lived at Marengo, Ill., northwest of Chicago, made an initial appearance Wednesday in Nez Perce County Magistrate Court, where he was seen on a $5 million arrest warrant. According to a news release from the Illinois State Police, Matthews allegedly participated in the murder of 35-year-old Carl E. Gordon Jr., of Belvidere, Ill. Also arrested Tuesday were 43-year-old Jerell T. Burnett, of Chicago, and 44-year-old Antoine D. Lovelace, of Elgin, Ill. All three are being charged with first degree murder, aggravated unlawful restraint and concealment of a homicidal death. Matthews, Burnett and Lovelace were indicted in Will County, Ill., last Thursday.

According to the online news organization Patch.com, Gordon was reported missing by his family in May 2020 and was last seen entering a building in Joliet, Ill., where he went to get his Harley-Davidson motorcycle repaired. His bullet-ridden body was found floating in the Little Calumet River on June, 18, 2020, according to several media reports out of Illinois.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.