A woman assaulted late last week passed away from her injuries and her boyfriend will now face a homicide charge, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
36-Year-Old Jamie Beighley had been on life support at Jefferson Bucks Hospital. She suffered various injuries, including being strangled, head trauma, and a possible brain bleed, authorities said. Responding officers found her with blood around her head, face, and hands.
Beighley died on Sunday just before 2 p.m., authorities said.
Her boyfriend, 37-year-old Evan Marquis Smith, was arrested in connection with the assault that allegedly happened at the New Falls Hotel in the 200 block of Lincoln Highway late last Thursday night.
Smith was arraigned Friday afternoon by District Judge Jan Vislosky on charges of aggravated assault, strangulation, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, and fleeing and eluding. He is being held on $500,000 bail.
Prosecutors have filed a homicide charge for which Smith will be arraigned Wednesday.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said Beighley had been choked to the “point of unconsciousness.”
Police were called to the New Falls Motel late Friday for reports of a woman in cardiac arrest, the affidavit said. When they arrived, they found Smith performing CPR on Beighley. Smith told the officers that “things got out of hand.” Then he became “uncooperative and combative” when the officers asked him questions. Smith then fled the motel in his car, nearly hitting an incoming ambulance on his way out.
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Beighley had blood on her head, face and hands, and did not have a pulse. Medics were able to revive her, and transported her to Jefferson.
She had remained on life support until her death Sunday, the affidavit said.
The wounds on her hands, including blood underneath her fingernails, seemed to have been inflicted during a struggle, police said.
Detectives later tracked Smith down as he sat in his car on Hunter Drive in Morrisville. They immediately took him into custody. During an interview with officers, Smith told them that he and Beighley had gotten into an argument at the motel. This was after smoking methamphetamine together earlier in the day.
Smith told the officers that during the argument, he choked Beighley until she lost consciousness, according to the affidavit.
Police said they caught up with Smith in the area of Hunter Drive in the Pennwood Crossing mobile home park shortly after he fled the scene.
Beighley’s family created GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses. You can donate by clicking here.
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