LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA – Grisly new details are emerging in the homicide that stunned Lafayette last weekend, including the specific weapon prosecutors say was used, new information about the moments before the killing, and troubling social media posts that appeared to reference the victim before his death.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office says 35-year-old David Swank Prince of Butte County (mugshot above from a previous arrest) has now been charged with murdering 34-year-old Christopher Jaber.
Prosecutors say Prince killed Jaber with a hatchet. Before, the death was reported only as a homicide, and later as a stabbing. The specific, macabre weapon used is a disturbing new revelation as the case unfolds.
According to the DA, the violence began around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, when a relative of Jaber called 911 to report a suspicious stranger in the backyard area of the family’s Westminster Place property.
That caller reported the man was holding what appeared to be a hatchet and was breaking into the accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, where Jaber lived. When Lafayette police arrived, they found Jaber dead inside and detained Prince a short distance away. (Contra Costa County)
One of the most significant new details is the DA’s statement that the killing appears to have been a “targeted act.” Officials have not yet publicly explained a motive, and they say the investigation into whether Prince and Jaber knew one another is still ongoing.
There are also signs that the victim may have been singled out in advance. KTVU reported that a Facebook account bearing the suspect’s name made a February post identifying Jaber by name and listing his Westminster Place address, followed roughly a week before the killing by another post reading, “Can someone please kill this man.”
NBC Bay Area separately reported that a Facebook account under the suspect’s name called Jaber “The Eye” and blamed him for “the chaos of the supernatural.” Those posts have added to the sense that this may not have been a random act. (KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco)
Another fresh development came out of court this week. Prosecutors reportedly asked a judge to raise Prince’s bail from $1 million to more than $2 million after citing his prior criminal record. Court records apparently show Prince had a prior Butte County conviction dating to 2020 for assault with a deadly weapon and served a prison sentence in that case.
NBC Bay Area also reported additional Butte County criminal history for Prince, including prior cases involving a concealed firearm, assault, and a recent vandalism charge. Those details have not changed the murder charge itself, but they add more context as the case begins moving through court. (NBC Bay Area)
The killing has rattled Lafayette, a city where homicides are extraordinarily rare. This is apparently Lafayette’s first homicide in 20 years.
At this point, the core facts are becoming clearer. And again, they’re disturbing–any homicide is terrible, but a targeted murder with a hatchet feels like something from a horror film.
We’ll continue to follow the case. Make sure to join our free 925 News newsletter so we can report back as more details come out.
