Anthony Lee Siple Jr, 22, is shown at his initial arraignment Nov. 21 via video link in Jackson County Circuit Court. Siple appeared virtually in court again Tuesday to plead not guilty to updated charges that include two counts of second-degree murder after the victim, Jessa Dayr Delyon, 51, died Dec. 5 from injuries sustained in the Nov. 18 attack.

A Medford man faces murder charges after prosecutors learned that the woman he allegedly assaulted last month with a can of food has died.

Anthony Lee Siple Jr., 22, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the death of Jessa Dayr Delyon, 51, who died at 6:18 p.m. Dec. 5 after being taken off life support, about two and a half weeks after the alleged attack on Nov. 18, the Medford Police Department announced in a news release Tuesday. Siple was originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and booked into the Jackson County Jail Nov. 18 on $1 million bail.

A Jackson County grand jury found probable cause to arrest Siple on the updated charges, which include first-degree manslaughter and first-degree robbery, according to an indictment filed after the Medford Police Department issued its Tuesday news release. The latest indictment does not include first-degree assault, one of Siple’s initial charges.

Siple remains in jail.

The Medford Police Department referred comments about the case to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office. 

In an interview Tuesday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Patrick Green called the case “tragic” and “really, really sad.”

“My heart goes out to her daughter and the rest of her family,” Green said, referring to Moira Cavanaugh, who has kept the public updated on her mother’s condition via a GoFundMe page. “Like with any case, I’m going to work to ensure that justice is done.”

Green also said the grand jury did not hear new evidence in this case until Tuesday because that was the earliest day the same jurors who originally heard the case could meet following Delyon’s death.

Siple’s attorney, Lisa Greif, said she had no comment on the latest developments in the case.

The updated criminal counts — one relating to Delyon’s death, the other to prosecutors’ belief that Siple allegedly murdered her in the course of a robbery — come after a judge entered not guilty pleas on behalf of Siple on the initial charges in the case.

Even though Siple told a judge in court Nov. 21 that he understood the nature of the initial charges against him, court filings show his case contains questions regarding whether he is capable of assisting with his own legal defense.

Siple was arrested the morning of the incident after 911 received calls of a male assaulting a female while allegedly shouting that he was going to kill her, in the 1000 block of North Keene Way Drive, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Medford police. Police later found a Chef Boyardee Ravioli can with skin tissue on it, the affidavit said. Siple allegedly admitted the can was his and that he attacked Delyon in self-defense, according to the affidavit.

In a news release issued not long after the attack, Medford police characterized the assault as a rare case of stranger-on-stranger violence.

News of Delyon’s death was first reported by her family via their GoFundMe page.

“Hug your loved ones this holiday season. We’re missing a huge part of our family this year. It’s never going to be (the) same,” Cavanaugh, wrote.

Cavanaugh thanked community members for their donations and added that her mother’s heart, lungs, liver and both kidneys were donated, which “saved the lives of five people.” Delyon’s pancreas and skin cells were also donated for medical research.

“She wanted to do both and I’m so glad I got to make sure she contributed to both organ donation and medical research,” Cavanaugh wrote.

Siple’s next court appearance is currently scheduled for Dec. 19. At that time, he is expected to be arraigned on the updated charges and his competency in assisting in his own defense is expected to be discussed. 

This story has been updated with comment from Jackson County Chief Deputy District Attorney Patrick Green.