The man found dead inside a Lafayette home last weekend was killed with a hatchet by a man who previously wrote troubling posts on Facebook asking for someone to kill the victim, new details reveal.
David Prince, 35, of Chico, was arrested while walking near where police found a man dead inside a home on a cul-de-sac on Saturday. Police had responded to reports of a “suspicious subject at a residence” on Westminster Place, and when they arrived, they found 34-year-old Christopher Jaber of Lafayette dead and Prince not far away.
At his court appearance on Wednesday, prosecutors added an enhancement to his murder charge related to Prince allegedly using a small hatchet to kill Jaber, according to Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office spokesperson Ted Asregadoo.
Asregadoo said Prince also had a “strike prior” under California’s Three Strikes Law for felony assault out of Butte County, where Prince has a total of four felony cases, two misdemeanor cases and one civil harassment case.
Prince also appears to have known the victim before killing him.
In a Feb. 19 post on his Facebook page, Prince wrote: “If you need the chaos of the supernatural to end Chris Jaber 34 aka the eye resides at… Westminster Place, Lafayette, CA. Go with God.” He also allegedly commented on the post, writing, “Can someone please kill this man.”
Asregadoo did not say whether prosecutors and police were aware of the posts. He said authorities are continuing to investigate the killing and could bring more charges or amend the complaint against Prince as more information comes out.
Prince could face up to 50 years in state prison if convicted on his current charges. His next court appearance is set for April 2, where he is expected to be arraigned, after his attorney asked for a continuance in court Wednesday, Asregadoo said.