In a tragic turn of events on January 19, 2010, Dwayne Shannon Sipe, a 38-year-old male from Appomattox, VA, was found deceased in his home. His death was part of a mass shooting that claimed the lives of seven other people, including his wife and son.
The person responsible for this horrific act was Christopher Bryan Speight, Dwayne's 40-year-old brother-in-law. Speight lived in the same house as the Sipe family.
On that fateful day, armed with a high-powered rifle, Speight fatally shot Dwayne, his sister and Speight's wife Lauralee Sipe, and their four-year-old son, Joshua. Investigators believe these initial shootings may have occurred two days prior to the discovery of the crime scene.
Speight's rampage continued as he killed four more individuals outside the residence: his 15-year-old niece Morgan Dobyns, her 15-year-old friend Emily Quarles, Emily's parents Jonathan and Karen Quarles, both 43, and 16-year-old Ronald 'Bo' Scruggs. After the shootings, Speight fled into the nearby woods, sparking a massive manhunt involving over a hundred police officers. During the search, he fired at a police helicopter, forcing it to make an emergency landing.
The following morning, Speight surrendered to authorities without incident. He was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of his surrender. Subsequent investigation into his motives revealed a history of mental health issues. Speight told investigators he was ordered by an 'Egyptian goddess' to kill his family because they were possessed by demons. He also had a paranoid belief that his sister was trying to sell the house they co-owned.
Initially, Speight was found incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a state psychiatric hospital for treatment. After his competency was restored, he faced multiple charges, including capital murder and attempted capital murder. On February 15, 2013, Christopher Speight pleaded guilty to three counts of capital murder, one count of attempted capital murder of a police officer, and five firearms counts. He was sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison plus an additional 18 years.
