ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A woman attacked with a hatchet in her home days before Thanksgiving has died from her injuries. Now, her accused killer is set to face a murder charge.
Just after 10:35 a.m. on Tuesday, Pinellas County deputies responded to a home near the corner of 24th Street North and 40th Avenue North in St. Petersburg after receiving a report of attempted murder.
They arrived to find 56-year-old Lisa Ann Rogers with a hatchet "protruding from her head," the sheriff's office reports. Rogers was transported to Bayfront Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:04 p.m. Saturday.
Deputies said they learned 40-year-old Michael Dougherty fled the home before they arrived.
Later that day, investigators were able to track down Dougherty's car near Gainesville. He was later pulled over at 2:50 a.m. on Thursday by an Alachua County deputy.
Dougherty was arrested and charged with one felony count of attempted second-degree murder. On Sunday, the sheriff's office said his charge will be upgraded to second-degree murder.
He remains in the Alachua County Jail and will later be transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
In an update on Saturday morning, the sheriff's office said Rogers and Dougherty lived in the same home when the incident happened. Details on their relationship have not been released.
The investigation is ongoing.