A Danville man may have his first-degree assault charge upgraded to a homicide charge due to the death of his victim four months after the assault.

Michael Sheene, 56, of Danville, was arrested on Jan. 3 of this year and charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree assault after local police responded to a call at 416 Seabiscuit Drive and found Lawrence Jamison, 59, with multiple stab wounds inside the residence. Jamison identified Sheene as the person who stabbed him, according to Danville Assistant Police Chief Glenn Doan.

In Boyle County Circuit Court on Tuesday, Judge Darren Peckler denied Sheene’s defense attorney’s motion to reduce his $40,000 bond, “due to the fact that the defendant is to be presented to the Boyle County Grand Jury on the charge of murder.”

Commonwealth’s Attorney Richard Bottoms said on Wednesday that because Jamison “died after about a four-month hospital stay,” he will be conducting more investigations and gathering additional information to eventually present to a grand jury for it to consider upgrading the initial assault charge. “I expect a murder or homicide charge,” Bottoms said.

Sheene’s status hearing is set for Dec. 3 at 1:30 p.m.

On the night of the stabbing as officers were heading to Seabiscuit Drive, they saw a red Jaguar passenger vehicle leave the area at a high rate of speed and run a stop sign.

After the vehicle was stopped, the driver was identified as Sheene, Doan said. According to the arrest citation filed on Jan. 3, Sheene was taken to the Danville police station and searched; a knife was found inside the left pocket of his jacket. He was then transported to the Boyle County Detention Center.

Doan added that Sheene and Jamison were acquaintances.

According to court records, on May 13, defense attorney Jessica Buck objected to “forcible administration of medication” on Sheene. Bottoms was in favor of continued forced medication for Sheene.

The order stated, “Following his arrest, the defendant was sent to the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center for a competency evaluation. While at KCPC, the defendant exhibited multiple pyschotic symptoms and disorganized thinking. He was disruptive, shouting, kicking doors and throwing objects.” Sheene was prescribed “stabilizing” medications, however, he refused treatment.

At the request of KCPC on April 15, an order was entered which allowed forced treatment for 30 days.

According to the records, when the 30-day treatment expired, the court held another hearing on May 13 and noted, “that the defendant has had a long history of mental health issues.” After hearing from Dr. Daniel Hackman, a staff psychiatrist at KCPC, “the Court finds that the treatment is necessary to ensure the safety of the patients at KCPC, as well as staff members.”

The order also stated that Hackman said possible permanent side effects of the forced medications were “highly unlikely.”

The record also stated that “the government’s interest in bringing to trial an individual accused of a serious crime is important.”

Hackman had testified that while Sheene was hospitalized at Eastern State Psychiatric Hospital, his mental condition “significantly improved” and he was released. Hackman said the medications were necessary to stabilize the defendant but didn’t guarantee Sheene’s competency, but “the defendant’s previous treatment is an indication of probable success.”

Sheene is now lodged in the Boyle County Detention Center.

In other court news:

• Nathan Hazlett and Clark “Tres” Walker III, both 18, who were arrested in connection with a rock-throwing incident that caused a Boyle County Sheriff’s deputy to wreck in late January, appeared in court for a pretrial conference. A court appearance was scheduled for Oct. 3 for both men to change their plea.

• A new trial date has been set again for Colin J. Montgomery, 30, who was arrested March 7, 2018, on a murder charge following the shooting death of his wife, Jennifer Montgomery, 27, outside of the couple’s home on Shakertown Road on the evening of March 6.

The trial is now scheduled for Boyle County Circuit Court, beginning on Nov. 5. It was originally scheduled for Aug. 26, then Oct. 14 of this year.