A Bogue Chitto man was stabbed to death in his home earlySaturday morning apparently following a domestic dispute, accordingto officials.

Ray Paul Richardson, 48, of 900 Pecan Lane, was pronounced deadat King’s Daughters Medical Center at 1:55 a.m. Saturday by LincolnCounty Coroner Clay McMorris.

“It happened at his residence, but he died at King’s Daughters,”he said.

LaShonda Lewis, 23, of 900 Pecan Lane, has been charged withmurder in the incident, said Lincoln County Sheriff’s OfficeInvestigator Mahundis Brice. She is in the Lincoln County Jailawaiting a preliminary hearing to set bond.

“The charge was upgraded to murder about 2:30 a.m. this morningsince the victim passed on,” Brice said.

The victim’s brother, Bruce Richardson, also of 900 Pecan Lane,was also in the home, but has not been charged in the incident.Bruce is Lewis’s fiancee.

The cause of the dispute is still under investigation, hesaid.

“We know there was a scuffle in the kitchen area,” Brice said.”How that got started is still being investigated.”

What the investigation has revealed so far, Brice said, is thatLewis and Ray were in the kitchen and Bruce was in the bedroom whenthe incident occurred. Lewis and Ray had a dispute that ended whenBruce heard the commotion, came into the kitchen and broke up thefight. Ray then went outside while Bruce questioned Lewis.

“They didn’t realize how serious Ray was hurt,” Brice said.

When the trio realized how badly Ray was injured, they calledfor help, he said.

“Lewis called 911 after Bruce broke up the altercation,” hesaid.

The call came into the dispatcher at 11:26 p.m. Friday, Bricesaid, and a deputy was on the scene at 11:39 p.m.

“The EMTs worked on him at the scene for a little while,” hesaid.

Ray was admitted to KDMC around 12:50 a.m., McMorris said, butattempts to save him failed.

“He was stabbed once in the chest with a knife,” the coronersaid.

At some point during the altercation, Brice said, Lewisallegedly used a steak knife.

“He also had some scratches and abrasions from where she hadtried to fend him off,” Brice said.

Williams Mortuary will be handling arrangements, which areincomplete.