Background: News footage of the home where Christopher Jaber was found dead on March 21 (KNTV). Inset: A 2019 mug shot of David Swank Prince (Contra Costa County Sheriff”s Office).
A man from California has been apprehended in connection with a brutal murder, which authorities describe as a “targeted” attack.
David Swank Prince, 35, faces murder charges as announced by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. The DA’s office referred to the alleged crime as a “targeted act.” Prince was taken into custody on March 21, coinciding with when family members contacted the Lafayette Police Department to request a welfare check on 34-year-old Christopher Jaber. Jaber, who resided in a unit behind his parents’ home in Lafayette, California, was discovered deceased by responding officers.
Prince was found shortly thereafter, wandering the same neighborhood, and was promptly arrested by authorities.
The District Attorney’s office stated that a 911 caller had reported seeing a “suspicious” individual in their backyard, wielding a hatchet and attempting to break into the accessory dwelling unit where Jaber resided. Local NBC affiliate KNTV reported that neighbors who knew Jaber and his family described the incident. Christina Coleridge, a neighbor, mentioned that a surveillance camera had captured a man, later identified as Prince, walking through the Bay Area neighborhood.
Coleridge shared with KNTV, “Never seen him before. He was really calm.” She also noted that Jaber’s parents were not home at the time the alleged murder occurred.
Multiple media sources, including KNTV and local Fox affiliate KTVU, highlighted a Facebook post associated with Prince’s name. Posted on February 19, the message contained Jaber’s full name and a plea for “the chaos of the supernatural to end.” The user referred to Jaber as “the eye” and included his complete address.
A reply to the comment by the same user was posted six days before Jaber was found dead that read, “Can someone please kill this man.” The posts were later deleted. Authorities have not confirmed that Prince was the one who posted the comments or that the Facebook user was him.
Prince, who had a history of arrests and convictions for assault, is charged with murder and is in custody at the Martinez Detention Center. He is being held on $2 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 2.
