A shocking incident in a usually peaceful and wealthy neighborhood in Northern California has sparked fears about potential targeted violence after unsettling online messages emerged that seemed to reference the victim weeks before the attack.
Around 11:36 a.m. on Saturday, officers were called to a residence on Westminster Place in Lafayette due to reports of a “suspicious subject,” according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. Upon entering the home, they discovered 34-year-old Christopher Jaber had been killed.
Sources within law enforcement informed KTVU that the murder involved the use of a hatchet.
Shortly after this grim discovery, authorities detained a man identified as 35-year-old David Prince from Chico, who was nearby at the time. He was subsequently arrested in connection with the homicide and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on a murder charge, with bail set at $1 million.
In an earlier 2019 arrest, a booking photo provided by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office shows David Prince, who is now charged with the fatal stabbing in Lafayette, California, as reported by authorities. (KTVU)
While investigators strive to uncover a motive, they are focusing on a series of enigmatic Facebook posts linked to an account under the suspect’s name.
According to KTVU, one post from February referenced Jaber by name and included his Lafayette address alongside a message invoking “the chaos of the supernatural.” About a week before the killing, the same account escalated the language, writing: “Can someone please kill this man.”
Authorities have not confirmed whether Prince authored the posts or whether he knew the victim.
Police tape blocks off a residential street in Lafayette as investigators canvass the area following a deadly stabbing in a community where homicides are exceedingly rare. (KTVU)
Still, neighbors told KTVU the messages, now circulating within the community, have fueled fears that the attack may have been deliberate.
“It seems like he was looking for him,” neighbor Christina Coleridge told the station, adding that she witnessed the suspect being taken into custody. She described him as handcuffed with plastic bags placed over his hands.
Legal experts say the posts, if tied to Prince, could play a key role in court. KTVU legal analyst Michael Cardoza said prosecutors could use them to argue premeditation, while defense attorneys may point to them as evidence of diminished mental capacity.
Social media posts attributed to the suspect referenced the victim by name and address weeks before the killing, raising questions about whether the attack was premeditated, according to KTVU. (KTVU)
Jaber had previously been placed under a conservatorship, according to court records cited by KTVU. His family has declined to comment.
Detectives and crime lab personnel with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office process evidence at the Lafayette home where a 34-year-old man was found dead, as the homicide investigation continued. (KTVU)
The killing has rattled Lafayette, part of the Lamorinda area, including Moraga and Orinda, a region known for its affluent communities. Home prices in the city typically range from about $1.8 million to $2 million, according to data from Zillow.
Homicides in Lafayette are exceedingly rare. Police records show no reported killings from 2013 through 2024, and none in 2025, underscoring the rarity of such violence in a community frequently ranked among the safest in the region.
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
