An Egyptian Goddess Told Him To Kill: Christopher Speight And The Appomattox Murders

In early 2010, 'A Troubled Man Went Strangely Silent' appears in the list 'An Egyptian Goddess Told Him To Kill: Christopher Speight And The Appomattox Murders'.Christopher SpeightThen 39, Christopher Speight worried about his future. He led a troubled life, never adjusting to adulthood, suffering mental issues, and still lived in his mother's Appomattox County, Virginia, home. His mother, a school teacher, always supported and encouraged Speight. She was his protector.protectorSpeight worked off and on as a security guard and a firearms collector and enthusiast.

When his mother died from cancer in 2006, Speight lost the support he needed. A store manager where he worked as a security guard said Speight worried about being kicked out of his house, which his mother left to him, his sister, and her family in her will. The manager said Speight did not want to talk about it, but he was clearly worried, pacing aisles during his shift. People who knew him said he became withdrawn and strangely quiet. No one knew the horror that came next.

On January 19, 2010, Virginia State Police and the Appomattox County Sheriff's Department got a call. Two women driving on a county road found a wounded man.A wounded man in the street in front of Speight's home. He was Jonathan Quarles, 43, and he had gunshot wounds but lived. Tammy Lee Randolph, one woman who found Quarles, saw blood as she approached the man and then saw blood on a car hood near him. "I called 911 right away," she said. Quarles died from his injuries on the trip to the hospital.In the street in front of Speight's home, a wounded man named Jonathan Quarles, 43, lay. He had gunshot wounds but was alive. Tammy Lee Randolph, one of the women who found Quarles, saw blood near the man and then saw blood on the hood of a car parked close by. "I called 911 right away," she stated. Quarles died from his injuries while going to the hospital.

WhenPolice arrivedPolice approached the site where Jonathan Quarles was found and went to the Speight house. Shots rang out, and those there realized they were being fired upon. Backup arrived, and police staked out the house from a distance. Speight fled into the woods near the house, continuing to fire his weapons, including a semi-automatic rifle.

Authorities eventually reached the Speight home and found bodies inside and outside. They realized a crazed killer was loose. Eight people, including Quarles, were found shot dead. This included Speight's sister, her husband, and their four-year-old son. Three teenagers and two other adults were also dead. Speight knew every person killed.

More than100 law enforcement officialsOfficials worked the scene that afternoon and night. Local residents stayed inside, and schools closed the next day. Speight kept firing from his forest hideout.

One weapon Speight carried into the forest during his standoff with the police was a semi-automatic rifle. He used this gun to shoot a police helicopter.Police helicopterHe hit the aircraft, forcing it to land in emergency mode.

The next day, January 20, Speight walked from the woods next to his home and quietly surrendered.SurrenderedHe wore a bulletproof vest. During his arrest, he gave no reason for his actions. Investigators forced him to search his home for proof of how many people he killed and what else he planned.

Speight felt deep worry before and after the murders. He feared his sister and her husband would remove him from the colonial home their mother willed to them. Believing he would soon be homeless, he thought if he couldn't get the house, his sister wouldn't either.

When he became violent, hisSister., Lauralee Sipe, was Speight's first target. He shot her eleven times, more than any other victim. They found her dead inside the house. Her husband, Dewayne Sipes, was found shot nearby. Their son, Joshua, was found dead on the second-floor stairs. He took four shots. He was four years old.

On January 18, fifteen-year-old.Emily.Quarles.Quarles decided to have a friend, Morgan Dobyns, over for a sleepover. Morgan, fifteen, is Lauralee Sipes' daughter and Christopher Speight's niece. She lives in the home with the rest of the family.

The next morning, Emily and her mother, Karen Quarles, 43, brought Morgan home. For some reason, Emily stayed in the car while Karen took Morgan to the door. Speight, who already killed his sister and her family, shot the two women on the porch. He then went to the car and shot Emily.

Some hours later, after Karen and Emily did not return, Karen's husband, Jonathan Quarles, and Emily's boyfriend, sixteen-year-oldRonnie "Bo" Scruggs., went to the Speight house after phone calls failed. Officials say the two men saw the bodies on the porch as they approached. Scruggs got out of the car and was shot. Quarles tried to run but was shot in the road; two women later found him.

After his arrest, Christopher Speight told police he killed his victims because anAn Egyptian goddess.Jennifer told him to do it. He also claimed the bodies needed to rot to please the goddess. After these statements, authorities knew the case needed a mental competency hearing.

After delays about Speight'sMental competency followed a series of delays, and justice finally arrived.The multiple murder case finally went to trial in 2013. Initial hearings showed Speight lacked the ability to stand trial. However, experts concluded after several years that Speight knew his wrongdoing. Speight's attorney then arranged a plea deal. Speight admitted he shot relatives and their friends outside the family home in 2010. In court, he pleaded guilty to three capital murder counts, one attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer, and five firearms charges. The court sentenced him to five life terms plus 18 years.

Police worried that Speight's house and property might hold bombs and other weapons because of his habit with weaponry.Explosives were found around the murder site.A bomb squad found explosives in and around the home. They safely disarmed or detonated them.