Shivangi Sinha
In March 2015, police responded to a call in the Slanesville area of Hampshire County, West Virginia. Upon arrival, they discovered Christopher Voit had been fatally shot. His grieving wife and young son were present, and both were inconsolable. After a brief conversation with the family, authorities began to piece together the events leading up to the tragedy. The Investigation Discovery episode of ‘Fear Thy Neighbor,’ titled ‘You Kill Mine, I Kill Yours,’ delves into Christopher’s life and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Christopher Voit Was Found Dead Near the Home He Had Recently Purchased
Christopher Allen Voit was born on April 1, 1971, to Kenneth Edward “Kenny” Voit and Mabel Virginia Barnes Voit. Raised alongside his two brothers in Winchester, Virginia, Christopher developed a passion for the outdoors at a young age. Whether it was boating, sailing, hiking, or simply enjoying nature, he found solace in outdoor activities. Following in his father’s footsteps, Christopher also developed a talent for mechanics and cultivated a fascination with fixing things, particularly cars and motorcycles. It was during his time at Hampshire High School that Christopher met Jamie Rena Haines, who lived in nearby Slanesville. Their romance began in 1993 when Jamie was 15 and Christopher was 16.
Christopher always dreamed of having a family, and after establishing himself as a mechanic, he and Jamie tied the knot in 2006. Jamie, a healthcare worker, and Christopher initially settled in Hampshire County. The couple welcomed their son, Blaize Voit, and their life seemed to be falling into place. Their happiness grew with the arrival of two daughters, Kendall Brooke Voit and Kennedy Starr Voit. With their expanding family, they decided to purchase a larger home in Slanesville and embraced a rural lifestyle. Christopher was passionate about the outdoors, and he was thrilled that the new home allowed his children to grow up surrounded by nature, fulfilling his vision of an idyllic childhood for them.
When the police arrived at the scene, they discovered Christopher lying lifeless at the end of his driveway. His wife, Jamie, was crouched beside him, overwhelmed with grief and sobbing uncontrollably. In a desperate attempt to save him, she had tried administering CPR, but even she knew it was too late—Christopher was already gone. The officers confirmed his death, and an autopsy later revealed the cause. Christopher had been shot through the arm, and the bullet had traveled into his chest. It had fatally damaged his heart.
Christopher’s Family Gave an Extensive Explanation About the Killer’s Motivations
Blaize Voit immediately informed the police that the person responsible for shooting his father, Christopher Voit, was their neighbor, Raymond Atkins. This revelation prompted the authorities to delve deeper into the situation and piece together the full story, starting with Jamie’s account of their relationship with the neighboring family. Jamie explained that when they first moved into the neighborhood, the Atkins family had been very welcoming and friendly. At the time, Daniel and Jenny Atkins lived in the house with their daughter, Jasmine. Daniel’s father, Raymond, also resided with them. The two families quickly formed a bond, especially because Jasmine was close in age to Blaize. The children often played together, and their parents enjoyed a neighborly rapport.
Jamie explained that once, Daniel had accidentally struck his own dog with a weed cutter, and Christopher, feeling sympathetic, lent him some money for the dog’s treatment. As collateral, Daniel had given Christopher a few guns to hold onto. However, things began to change when Christopher got a dog of his own. The situation escalated when the Atkins accused Christopher of allowing his dog to stray onto their property. They even went as far as accusing the dog of killing one of their goats. One morning, after Blaize had let their dog outside, the family heard a loud bang. When they stepped outside, they saw Raymond shoveling snow in his yard. This upset Christopher, and he angrily confronted Raymond, accusing him of killing their dog.
Christopher Voit’s Son Aided in Identifying His Father’s Killer
From that point forward, the tension between the two families continued to escalate. Verbal disagreements and arguments, often stemming from misunderstandings, became a regular occurrence. Blaize remembered one particular instance when his father was especially angry after seeing Raymond holding a box of puppies. He recalled that Christopher Voit had driven off quickly, nearly knocking the box over. Although he later apologized for the incident, it deeply angered Raymond Atkins. Reflecting on that day, Blaize mentioned that his father had been teaching him how to drive at the time.
On March 14, 2015, the Voit family decided to order pizza, and after it arrived, they drove to the end of the road to pick it up. On their way back, they saw Raymond standing at the back of his truck, where a handful of guns were lying in the bed. The two men began talking about the dogs again, and Raymond repeated that he hadn’t killed Christopher’s dog but claimed he had seen a white truck hit the dog and drive off with it. This infuriated Christopher, and in a fit of anger, he got out of the car, grabbed one of the pistols, and pointed it at Raymond.
Blaize recalled that after his father put the gun back down and began to retreat, Raymond picked up a rifle and shot him right then and there. In shock and unsure of what to do, Blaize quickly drove back home and sought his mother’s help. When they returned to the scene, Raymond was gone. The police later found him in his bedroom, with the murder weapon lying next to him. He was arrested at that moment and charged with first-degree murder, along with two counts of wanton endangerment.
Raymond Atkins is Out on Parole Today
The prosecutors were concerned that the case might not succeed at trial, as Raymond could easily claim self-defense, making it difficult to prove. To avoid the uncertainty of a trial, they offered him a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter and a charge of brandishing a firearm. Raymond accepted the deal, receiving a sentence of 15 years, with the possibility of parole in three and a half years. After serving his minimum sentence, Raymond was granted release, but his whereabouts remained unknown to both the police and Christopher’s family. For them, no sentence could ever provide the justice they sought, and it certainly wouldn’t bring Christopher back.
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