Man arrested in rare Lafayette homicide after cryptic online posts surfaced

A deadly stabbing in a historically quiet and affluent Northern California community is raising new concerns about targeted violence after disturbing online posts surfaced appearing to reference the victim weeks before he was killed.

Officers were dispatched at about 11:36 a.m. Saturday to a home on Westminster Place in Lafayette for reports of a “suspicious subject,” according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. When officers entered the residence, they found 34-year-old Christopher Jaber dead.

Law enforcement sources told KTVU the killing involved a hatchet.

A man later identified as 35-year-old David Prince of Chico was detained nearby shortly after the discovery and ultimately arrested in connection with the killing. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on a murder charge and is being held on $1 million bail.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Jaber had previously been placed under a conservatorship, according to court records cited by KTVU. His family has declined to comment.

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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.

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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.

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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 [email protected].