Man Attacks, Kills Woman Who Let Him Stay At Her House With A Hatchet

A man allegedly attacked and killed a woman who let him stay in her home with a hatchet in Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida on Saturday, Nov. 26.

The victim, identified as 56-year-old Lisa Rogers Eaton, was staying with her husband Bill Eaton in the Silver Lake Mobile Home Resort mobile home park in Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida. The accused, Michael Dougherty, 40, started living with the victim and her husband after he lost his job, CONAN Daily reported.

On Tuesday, Nov. 22 morning, Dougherty allegedly hit Eaton in her house in St. Petersburg in the head with a hatchet. At around 10:36 a.m., the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and found Eaton with a hatchet embedded in her head at the home. Eaton was immediately taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

After undergoing treatment for a few days, Eaton was pronounced dead at the hospital at around 11:04 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26. Rogers Eaton’s sister, Donna Voye, said that her family joined her in the hospital on Saturday to pray and turn off the victim’s respirator, WFLA reported.

“We don’t understand it,” Voye said. “We can’t understand it because she wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

“As good as a person she has done a whole life for her life at 56 years old, be taken away by someone that’s so mean,” Voye said. “Why? Why? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Voye added that their family is heartbroken over Eaten's sudden death. She described her sister as caring and someone who thinks the best of everyone.

“She’ll help anybody,” Voye said. “She’ll give you anything you want.”

According to officers, Dougherty left the house before deputies arrived at the scene. However, his vehicle was spotted near Gainesville later that day. After his vehicle was spotted, Alachua County deputies responded to the scene and arrested Dougherty during a traffic stop just before 3 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 24.

Initially, he was charged with attempted second-degree murder. However, after Eaton died, his charge has now been upgraded to second-degree murder. Authorities are arranging for Dougherty to be taken to the Pinellas County Jail in Highpoint, Pinellas County.