2010 Appomattox shootings

Familicide in Virginia, U.S. June 2025 November 2012 Appomattox shootings Appomattox, Virginia, United States January 19–20, 2010 12:00 p.m. EST UTC -5 Mass murder, mass shooting Unknown rifle 8 0 Christopher Bryan Speight Eight killed in Virginia shooting, suspect surrenders A mass murder occurred in Appomattox, Virginia, United States, on January 19, 2010. 39-year-old Christopher Bryan Speight fatally shot his sister, her husband, and her son and daughter at their home, as well as four other people. He then escaped into a forest and shot at a police helicopter searching for him, but eventually surrendered himself to authorities. On February 15, 2013, Speight was sentenced to life imprisonment. Shooting The incident began on January 19, 2010, when police were called to a road outside Appomattox due to a neighbour reporting of a man requiring medical attention.Ian Urbina Theo Emery https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/us/21virginia.html Man Surrenders in Virginia Killings The New York Times January 20, 2010 June 22, 2024 January 23, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100123183512/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/us/21virginia.html live When police arrived, they were fired on by the suspect, Christopher Bryan Speight, who also fired on a police helicopter, forcing it to make an emergency landing.https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspect-death-downing-helicopter-surrenders/story?id=9615618 Va. Shooting Victims Identified ABC News January 20, 2010 June 22, 2024 June 22, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240622225231/https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspect-death-downing-helicopter-surrenders/story?id=9615618 live Shortly afterwards, the suspect fled to a wooded area, where a force of more than a hundred police officers surrounded him. Police found three people dead in a house co-owned by the gunman (his sister and the house's co-owner, Lauralee Sipe, and her husband, Dwayne Sipe, both 38, and their four-year-old son, Joshua), and four others dead outside the house, with the last victim dying on the road. Police said that the victims were both men and women, and all were previously acquainted with the suspect. Speight was believed to have acted alone.http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/20/virginia.shootings/index.html?hpt=T2 Suspect in 8 Virginia killings surrenders CNN January 20, 2010 January 20, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100123011926/http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/20/virginia.shootings/index.html?hpt=T2 January 23, 2010 live He surrendered on January 20, near the same wooded area where police thought he had been surrounded. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, but was not carrying the high-powered rifle believed to be the weapon used. Prior to his surrender, police put a school and local businesses on lockdown, and advised residents to lock their houses and not go outside. Police were concerned that Speight's house had been rigged with explosives, and a bomb squad searched the building the morning after the attack.https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/us/21virginia.html Suspect Surrenders in Virginia Killing of 8 People The New York Times January 19, 2010 January 20, 2010 Ian Urbina Theo Emery https://web.archive.org/web/20100123183512/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/us/21virginia.html January 23, 2010 live Explosives were found both inside and around the building, and were detonated safely. The house had sat unsecured for more than twelve hours as state police assumed local deputies had secured the house, and vice versa. Speight was employed as a security guard for a grocery store at the time of the incident. Victims Eight people were murdered by Speighthttps://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/virginia-family-massacre-victims/ Virginia Family Massacre Victims CBS News January 21, 2010 June 22, 2024 February 19, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240219113354/https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/virginia-family-massacre-victims/ live Lauralee Sipe, 38, Speight's sister, found in living room, shot eleven times Dwayne S. Sipe, 38, husband of Lauralee Sipe, found in living room, shot nine or ten times Joshua Sipe, 4, son of Lauralee and Dwayne Sipe, found at the top of the house staircase, shot four times Morgan L. Dobyns, 15, daughter of Lauralee Sipe, found on porch, shot twice Emily A. Quarles, 15, friend of Morgan Dobyns, found in a vehicle in driveway, shot once Jonathan L. Quarles, 43, father of Emily Quarles, found in road/driveway, shot four times Karen Quarles, 43, mother of Emily Quarles, found on porch, shot thrice Ronald “Bo” I. Scruggs, 16, boyfriend of Emily Quarles, found in driveway, shot once in backDePompa Rachel Alexander Terry 2010-07-01 New details about Appomattox mass murder https://www.12onyourside.com/story/12736900/new-details-about-appomattox-mass-murder/ 2025-01-23 WWBT en Aftermath On June 24, 2010, Appomattox County Circuit Court Judge Richard Blanton signed an order declaring Speight incompetent to stand trial.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/appomatox-massacre-suspect-christopher-speight-to-get-mental-evaluationtrial-delayed/ Appomatox [sic] Massacre Suspect Christopher Speight to Get Mental Evaluation, Trial Delayed CBS News July 1, 2010 June 21, 2024 June 22, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240622042428/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/appomatox-massacre-suspect-christopher-speight-to-get-mental-evaluationtrial-delayed/ live He was ordered to be sent to a state psychiatric hospital until such a time when he is able to assist his attorneys with his defense.http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/lynchburg/article/appomattox_murders_suspect_declared_incompetent_for_trial/108516/ https://archive.today/20110807075417/http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/lynchburg/article/appomattox_murders_suspect_declared_incompetent_for_trial/108516/ dead August 7, 2011 Appomattox murders suspect declared incompetent for trial WSLS June 29, 2010 June 29, 2010 Two years after the shootings, police revealed that the three Sipes in the house were likely killed two days before Speight fatally shot the other five victims. The case remained on hold for years as attorneys dealt with pretrial motions and awaited additional mental evaluations. According to investigators Speight told them that he had been ordered by an Egyptian goddess named Jennifer to shoot his family, because they were possessed by demons. The others were killed, he said, so they could not help his first victims, since Jennifer demanded that their bodies had to rot. On February 15, 2013, Speight was sentenced in a plea deal to five life terms plus 18 years on three counts of capital murder, one count of attempted capital murder of a police officer (presumably because of the shots fired at the state police helicopter), and five firearms counts.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/christopher-speight-va-man-charged-with-killing-eight-and-shooting-down-state-police-helicopter-pleads-guilty/ Christopher Speight, Va. man charged with killing eight and shooting down state police helicopter, pleads guilty CBS News February 15, 2013 June 21, 2024 June 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240625212936/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/christopher-speight-va-man-charged-with-killing-eight-and-shooting-down-state-police-helicopter-pleads-guilty/ livehttps://wjla.com/news/local/christopher-speight-sentenced-to-five-life-terms-85295 Christopher Speight sentenced to five life terms WJLA February 15, 2013 June 21, 2024 June 22, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240622042437/https://wjla.com/news/local/christopher-speight-sentenced-to-five-life-terms-85295 livehttps://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2013/02/15/va-man-pleads-guilty-to-killing-8-shooting-copter/ Va man pleads guilty to killing 8, shooting copter San Diego Union-Tribune February 15, 2013 June 21, 2024 June 22, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240622042430/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2013/02/15/va-man-pleads-guilty-to-killing-8-shooting-copter/ live The Commonwealth's Attorney Darrel Puckett said mental health experts for both the defense and the state had found Speight insane at the time, "rendering a death sentence highly unlikely" had the case gone to trial.Va. man pleads guilty to killing 8, shooting helicopter https://web.archive.org/web/20130218052204/http://hamptonroads.com/2013/02/va-man-pleads-guilty-killing-8-shooting-helicopter February 18, 2013 , The Virginian-Pilot (February 16, 2013) References External links Police Surround Gunman After He Kills 8 in Virginia, The New York Times (January 19, 2010) Suspect in 8 Va. deaths may have left explosivesJanuary 2025 medicmedic, The Washington Post (January 20, 2010) Uncle: No sign of trouble from Va. killing suspectJanuary 2025 medicmedic, The Washington Post (January 21, 2010) Category:2010 in Virginia Category:2010 mass shootings in the United States Category:2010 murders in the United States Category:2010s mass murders in the United States Category:Mass murders in Virginia Category:Deaths by firearm in Virginia Category:Familicides in the United States Category:January 2010 crimes in the United States Category:2010 mass murders Category:Appomattox County, Virginia Category:Mass shootings in Virginia Category:2010s crimes in Virginia Category:Sororicides Category:Spree shootings in the United States Category:Attacks on residential buildings in the United States Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in Virginia Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2010