Mom says son's 2019 killing is solved

Recently she was notified that Matthews, now 20, has been charged as a juvenile in connection with her son’s death. Matthews has been in the Nacogdoches County Jail on unrelated charges since January.

“He was a guy my son trusted. He went to the woods with him that day,” she said.

Authorities confirmed someone is charged in Wade’s death, but since Matthews was a juvenile when Wade was killed, they are prevented by law from publicly identifying him as suspect — at least until a judge certifies him to stand trial as an adult.

A hearing to certify a defendant in the case as an adult is set for the end of March, District Attorney Andrew Jones said.

Wade’s body was found in a wooded area in the 2200 block of Lola Street on March 21, 2019. He had gone into the woods with Matthews, Wade-Sweat said.

“Frederick just shot him — overkilled him — and left him in the woods to die,” she said.

Wade-Sweat long suspected Matthews of killing her son, despite a long history of positive shared experiences.

“He’s the one that called me and told me my son was dead,” she said of Matthews.

The two young men played together as children. Matthews’ grandmother was a caregiver for Wade-Sweat’s disabled brother.

When being interviewed by police, Matthews expressed remorse, Wade-Sweat said she was told by investigators.

“He wanted to apologize to me and my daughter, but I just can’t forgive him right now,” she said. “I know I’m supposed to forgive to get into heaven, but I can’t. An apology isn’t enough.”

Wade had been back in Nacogdoches three days when he was killed. He had been living in Abilene but came home to replace a lost ID so he could work to support his son and girlfriend, his mother said.

“He wanted a family; he wanted to move forward,” she said.

He was scheduled to go to a job interview on March 22, 2019, the day after his body was found by a group of children walking though the woods.

Immediately after Wade’s death, Wade-Sweat said, rumors swirled that her son had been involved with a mafia group or Mexican gang.

“None of that is true,” she said. “People make mistakes, but Damien had never had any sort of encounter with police — neither as a juvenile or an adult.”

Wade had been a youth track star, earning several medals in the AAU Junior Olympics with Dynasty Track of Lufkin. He eventually left school after falling in love and having a child.

Wade-Sweat is now raising her 4-year-old grandson, Jakowa.

“God works in mysterious ways,” she said.

The preschooler, who was born just a few months before his father was killed, has changed Wade-Sweat’s life completely.

“It’s God-sent,” she said. “And now I will be able to tell my grandson we know who took his father’s life.”

Matthews has been jailed since January following a robbery at Oak Hill Plaza apartments.

Witnesses in that case told police that he robbed a man and woman at gunpoint. A third woman said she recognized Matthews and bartered with him in an attempt to get property returned, according to police records.

It is unclear if he has an attorney.