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A tragic stabbing incident in a normally serene and upscale area of Northern California is sparking fresh worries about possible targeted violence. This comes after unsettling online posts emerged, seemingly mentioning the victim weeks before his untimely death.
Authorities responded to a call around 11:36 a.m. on Saturday at a residence on Westminster Place in Lafayette, as reported by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. Upon entering the home, officers discovered the lifeless body of 34-year-old Christopher Jaber.
According to KTVU, law enforcement sources revealed that the murder involved the use of a hatchet.
Soon after the grim discovery, 35-year-old David Prince from Chico was apprehended nearby. He has been arrested in connection with the homicide and is currently held at the Martinez Detention Facility, facing a murder charge with bail set at $1 million.
This booking photo, provided by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, shows David Prince following a previous arrest in 2019. Prince is now charged in connection with the fatal stabbing in Lafayette, California, according to authorities. (KTVU)
As investigators work to determine a motive, attention has turned to a series of cryptic Facebook posts linked to an account bearing 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.