Feb. 24--A man who did security work for Chicago rapper Twista was found shot to death and lit on fire in a South Side home Friday.
The man was identified as Davy Easterling by the Cook County medical examiner's office Sunday.
Easterling was found in an apartment about 6 a.m. Friday in the 8300 block of South Baker Avenue. That same day, Twista had put out messages on Twitter and Instagram, saying that Easterling, who acted as a bodyguard for Twista and who he described as "A close friend of mine," had been missing for three days.
Twista has represented Chicago in his music for two decades and his name is a nod to his ability to rap fast in a clear and concise manner -- he previously was known as Tung Twista.
On Saturday, Twista sent out "#RIP Davy Easterling aka 6'9 I have lost too many good friends to these streets."
State records indicate Easterling had received a firearms training certificate that would enable him to carry a gun as a security guard.
Police were conducting a homicide investigation.
The Fire Department's Office of Fire Investigations determined that the fire was incendiary --meaning that it was somehow started by a person -- said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford on Saturday.
Firefighters were called to the 21/2-story building on Baker Avenue around 6 a.m. Friday, Langford said.
The man found was dead in the bedroom during a primary search, he said.
Smoke detectors were working in the building, Langford said.
Bomb and Arson investigators from the Chicago Police Department are continuing to investigate.
Copyright 2014 - Chicago Tribune
