Melva Lowman, 79, of 206 Sills Drive, died Wednesday at Rowan Regional Medical Center. Her body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Chapel Hill for an autopsy.

Her granddaughter, Melanie Henderson, 29, sits in the Rowan County Detention Center in lieu of $300,000 bond, accused of putting her in the hospital.

Henderson is charged with felony robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

District Attorney Bill Kenerly said he had hoped to determine this morning whether to increase those charges.

“Circumstances are such that it’s going to depend a lot on what the medical examiner determines was the cause of death,” District Attorney Bill Kenerly said. “We’re still waiting on that at this time.”

Capt. Mark Wilhelm of the Salisbury Police Department said this morning he expects the results of the autopsy today and will then confer with Kenerly.

“I think it’s a formality, but I never know what it’s going to be until they conclude it,” he said.

Henderson’s Rowan County criminal history includes convictions for felony larceny and passing worthless checks, according to courthouse records.

In 1997, she was charged with common law robbery and several felony forgery offenses but in each case was convicted of a lesser offense, records show.