Lafayette Hatchet Killing Shocks Community, Suspect’s Troubling Social Media Posts and Criminal History Surface.
A disturbing homicide case in Lafayette has taken another grim turn after investigators revealed that the man found dead inside a local home last weekend was killed with a hatchet. Authorities say the suspect, David Prince, 35, of Chico, was arrested near the scene after police responded to reports of a suspicious person at a residence on Westminster Place.
When officers arrived, they found 34-year-old Christopher Jaber of Lafayette dead inside the home, while Prince was located not far away. Prosecutors later added an enhancement to Prince’s murder charge, saying he allegedly used a small hatchet in the killing.
Court records and statements from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office also suggest Prince had a violent legal history before the deadly incident. Officials said he had a prior strike under California’s three-strikes law for felony assault out of Butte County, along with multiple other cases including felonies, misdemeanors, and a civil harassment matter.
Investigators are also examining troubling social media activity tied to the case. According to reports, Prince previously posted messages on Facebook asking someone to kill the victim, raising further alarm about the alleged motive and the sequence of events leading up to the death.
The killing has left the neighborhood stunned as police continue to piece together what happened inside the home. What began as a report of a suspicious subject has now become a serious murder investigation with unsettling details that continue to emerge as the case moves forward in court.
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