Police: 6 slain in Tenn., Ala.;

[GentleBreeze]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090719/ap_on_re_us/us_southern_tennessee_slayings

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. – Six slayings in two communities about 30 miles apart in Tennessee and Alabama are linked, and a suspect who was sitting on the front porch of a home where some the bodies were found was being questioned, authorities said Saturday.

[doctor_J]

Good Grief! Could they have given us less information?

Maybe they have to be sure they've got the culprit (s) before they release any info.

[firefly75]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090719/ap_on_re_us/us_southern_tennessee_slayings

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. – Six slayings in two communities about 30 miles apart in Tennessee and Alabama are linked, and a suspect who was sitting on the front porch of a home where some the bodies were found was being questioned, authorities said Saturday.

This is so sad...I think this is Jacobs Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/lugzking28
it is private but it says :"misses my family" and his mood is "going crazy"...creepy!

From what I gathered this is the wifes
http://www.myspace.com/469355937
People are leaving messages already...so sad....:sad:

[Heidi J.]

Charged (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,533807,00.html?test=latestnews)

So sad..

[Mel]

from The Tennessean, this morning..

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090719/NEWS03/907190364/1017/NEWS/Man+charged+after+6+found+slain+in+Tennessee++Alab ama

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. — A 30-year-old man was charged with homicide Saturday in the slayings of six people, most believed to be from the same family, in two communities about 30 miles apart in Tennessee and Alabama.

more at link above

[SaraSidle]

from The Tennessean, this morning..

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090719/NEWS03/907190364/1017/NEWS/Man+charged+after+6+found+slain+in+Tennessee++Alab ama

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. — A 30-year-old man was charged with homicide Saturday in the slayings of six people, most believed to be from the same family, in two communities about 30 miles apart in Tennessee and Alabama.

more at link above

Interesting the link says a Knife was used. I thought that had not been released..sara

[Heidi J.]

A southern Tennessee man faces homicide charges in the slayings of his wife, her father, brother and teenage son, along with two other people in two states, authorities said Sunday.

The bodies of the relatives, along with a teenage neighbor, were found Saturday in two rural homes near Fayetteville in southern Tennessee, said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A sixth body discovered at a business about 30 miles south in Huntsville, Ala., has not been identified, and authorities have not said how the killings are linked.

Jacob Shaffer, 30, of Fayetteville in Lincoln County, faces six counts of homicide, his motive described as domestic, according to TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm. She identified the victims as as Shaffer's wife, 38-year-old Traci Shaffer; her son, 16-year-old Devin Brooks; her brother, 34-year-old Chris Hall; her father, 57-year-old Billy Hall; and a neighbor, 16-year-old Robert Berber. Jacob Shaffer was being held in the Lincoln County jail without bond and no lawyer for him was listed at the jail.

FOX NEWS (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,533807,00.html?test=latestnews)

[Kip]

This is so sad...I think this is Jacobs Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/lugzking28
it is private but it says :"misses my family" and his mood is "going crazy"...creepy!

From what I gathered this is the wifes
http://www.myspace.com/469355937
People are leaving messages already...so sad....:sad:

Yes, the message and mood on his myspace page is definitely creepy. I also thought it was creepy just reading that he was found sitting on the porch of one of the houses with the bodies inside.

It sounds like the wife's family has pretty much been wiped out. So sad for all of the victims and their families and friends...especially the two 16-year-olds though.

[kelloggirl]

On his myspace page he wrote
4/20 Life is great. All except my babies loser mama. Going Crazy. Threatening to kidnap my kid. mood annoyed.

4/29 Sitting here thinking of some of the **** that has been happening in my life. mood aggravated

5/7 Eventful day in court. Emilys mom showed her butt to no ones surprise. Typical day for her. Great day for me.

5/7 Just got Emily to sleep. Finally a moment of peace. The judge said I dont have to talk to or let Emily talk to her mom anymore. Peace at last for Emily and me. mood tickled pink.

6/25 Had back surgery. Mood sore.

7/17 Up early with Emily. My back is absolutely killing me. Mood sore

7/18 About to give Emily a bath, if I can. Not feeling to hot today. Mood sore.

Very telling and scary indeed...and sad, too, to be honest.

Where is the little girl Emily? Is she OK?

[Kip]

Traci's father, Billy Hall, and her brother, Chris Hall, were found dead in a home across the street. Chris Hall was a father of three young children, ages 8, 6 and 4. They were not with him at the time.

Jason Shaffer has a four-year-old daughter, who was not at the home during the time of the massacre. Jennifer Hall, Traci Shaffer's sister, was also not home at the time.


Traci's brother had 3 children. Thank goodness they weren't there with him, but, my gosh, think of how many lives this one man has devastated with his senseless acts.

http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-jacob-shaffer-court-appearance,0,2490786.story

Edited to add:

5 of the 6 victims were stabbed (all with multiple stab wounds). The man found at a business location was beaten to death. How on earth was he able to stab so many people without anyone getting away?

http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10755863

[Dawn]

Very telling and scary indeed...and sad, too, to be honest.

Where is the little girl Emily? Is she OK?

Not sure where she is at. I can't even imagine how she feels.

Her father appeared before a Judge today, Mon. 20th, and was assigned a PD.

Such a sad situation all the way around.

[Dawn]

Traci's father, Billy Hall, and her brother, Chris Hall, were found dead in a home across the street. Chris Hall was a father of three young children, ages 8, 6 and 4. They were not with him at the time.

Jason Shaffer has a four-year-old daughter, who was not at the home during the time of the massacre. Jennifer Hall, Traci Shaffer's sister, was also not home at the time.


Traci's brother had 3 children. Thank goodness they weren't there with him, but, my gosh, think of how many lives this one man has devastated with his senseless acts.

http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-jacob-shaffer-court-appearance,0,2490786.story

Edited to add:

5 of the 6 victims were stabbed (all with multiple stab wounds). The man found at a business location was beaten to death. How on earth was he able to stab so many people without anyone getting away?

http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10755863

I read where someone posted his myspace and he had just had back surgery. I wonder as well, how he did it with no one escaping.

[doctor_J]

I am so confused about the relationships in this tragedy. Is Emily Tracy's daughter who Jacob says on his MS that the judge ordered her to stay away from? On the Tracy Hall MS she says she is single but I"m guessing she was married to Jacob and they were separated. Hope that's right. And I'm guessing the teenage son, Devin, is not Jacob's child.

Who is Jason Shafer? Did you mean Jacob?

It's also confusing that he could attack 3 people, 2 of them teenage boys who were possibly as big as him, with a knife and kill all three. Then kills 2 grown, fairly young men with a knife. Wow. More competent with knife killing than even OJ.

Anyone figure how the guy in the business is related to the family or why he got killed?

[Kip]

According to investigators, Tracie Shaffer was the main target in these killings. Neighbors told WAFF 48 News that Tracie and Jacob Shaffer had argued on Friday. WAFF 48 News was told that the two were no longer living together but had not yet filed papers.

Dempsey was killed first sometime late Friday or early Saturday morning. His body was found at Hall's Cultured Marble and Granite on Orchard Street late Saturday morning. Authorities said they believe Shaffer then drove to Lincoln County and killed his wife's father and brother. Their bodies were found at a home on South Lincoln Street.

Shaffer then allegedly crossed the street to a white one-level duplex and killed Brooks and Berber. Tracie Shaffer was the last victim believed to have been killed.


http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=10757551

The guy murdered at the business was an employee of the father (Jacob's father-in-law).

[doctor_J]

Does anyone know if "Emily" is Tracy and Jacob's child?

[Kip]

Does anyone know if "Emily" is Tracy and Jacob's child?

I think so. From a news story:

Family friend James Wilson said investigators think the only person spared in the attacks was the Shaffers' 4-year-old daughter.

[doctor_J]

Tracy posted on her MS that her best friends were her mom and dad, which indicates her mom is still living (and her dad was only 57). That means this woman has lost her husband, daughter, son, and grandson, all in one day. That's almost unimaginable. That Jacob guy might have sounded depressed in his MS writing, maybe even a little paranoid. But he most certainly was not psychotic. I just can't imagine a man in his right mind committing this crime. Domestic anger often leads to murder but 2 innocent teenagers?? And his father-in-law's employee who just happened to be in the wrong place??

Crimes just keep getting worse and worse. LIke angry men are trying to outdo what they've read other maniacs did in the papers. Wonder if he even considered his own daughter?

I have so many guestions about this case. Wonder if Tracy had visitation that weekend and that's why he was there? Or why he said the judge stopped all contact between Emily and her mother?

And the biggest guestion of all--how did he kill multiple people with a knife without being overpowered or anyone getting away?

[doctor_J]

I made a mistake. Rechecked MS. She called mom and dad her heros instead of best friends. My point being the mother of Tracy had lost so many of her family.

[VC2]

This poor gal if she is in fact one of the victims, wrote on the 17th that she was looking forward to the weekend. WOW. She never made it to the weekend.

Goes to show you just NEVER know what's coming. Sad.:sad:

I hate to even say it but this guy's booking picture just looks alike a sad and broken man. He doesn't look vengeful or demented or happy at all. I've seen many booking photos where the person still looks like they have that "YEAH WHAT?" look on their face.

And as was mentioned earlier his MySpace thing has his mood as "Going Crazy". That's SCARY to say the least.

sad..very sad.

It is easy to label someone a monster but he just looks and sounds like someone who broke completely inside and did a monstrous thing because he was "going crazy". Yes i can feel sad for him, not as sad as the innocent victims but i don't think he is evil, just did an evil thing while he was paranoid.

IMO

[doctor_J]

There's more info in this article. He is pretty big, 6ft. 215 lbs.http://www.wnep.com/news/sns-ap-us-southern-tennessee-slayings,0,826048.story

[Leve]

It looks like he bought stun guns, maybe thats how he was able to stab 5 people. Little Emily was in the house and apparently witnessed some of the killings. :sad:

[kelloggirl]

sad..very sad.

It is easy to label someone a monster but he just looks and sounds like someone who broke completely inside and did a monstrous thing because he was "going crazy". Yes i can feel sad for him, not as sad as the innocent victims but i don't think he is evil, just did an evil thing while he was paranoid.

IMO

Broken...that's it. Yes, I think someone who does that then sits on the porch and waits to be arrested is broken. One can be a bit sad for him because all he seemed to want was to be with his daughter, and now he never will be. At the same time, one can be very angry at this horrible, horrible senseless crime. Why was this the answer for him? Why all the innocent victims? We'll never understand, I'm sure.

[aubrey04]

It looks like he bought stun guns, maybe thats how he was able to stab 5 people. Little Emily was in the house and apparently witnessed some of the killings. :sad:

He bought stun guns on purpose to subdue his victims and make it easier to murder them. He went to different locations to kill the people he wanted dead. It was premediated, vindictive, savage and egregious, especially in regards to killing the teenagers.. in front of his daughter, no less.. This is WAY worse than I ever imagined. Throw him on death row with all the other animals. imo
Here is more info (link follows):

FAYETTEVILLE — A man accused of fatally stabbing and bludgeoning six people in Tennessee and Alabama was targeting his wife and killed the others first so they couldn’t stop him, authorities said Tuesday.


Jacob Shaffer, 30, is charged with six counts of homicide. He bought two stun guns Friday, the day before the victims were found, indicating the attacks were planned, District Attorney Charles Crawford said at news conference.

http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2009/07/22/top_stories/04shaffer.txt