A Coos County grand jury convened Friday and ratcheted up the charges two Coos Bay men face in connection with a murder and multiple stabbings that took place last week in Empire.

According to a Coos County District Attorney's Office press release, Christopher Scott Howell, 26, and Christopher Paul Poulain, 20, now also will face two counts of attempted murder along with the charges the DA's office had filed last week.

The attempted murder charges stem from knife injuries sustained by Jack Robinson and Michael Stiltner, two men who lived at a the scene of the stabbings, 764 Schetter Ave. Another man, Steven Lee Morris, 46, of Empire, died as the result of stab wounds.

Last Tuesday, at the men's first arraignment hearing, the DA's office initially charged Howell and Poulain with two counts of murder, first- and second-degree assault and burglary. All but the last are considered Measure 11 crimes, with set mandatory minimum prison terms.

Chief Deputy District Attorney R. Paul Frasier said today that attempted murder also is a Measure 11 crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 71/2 years in prison.

The DA's office has not yet charged either man with aggravated murder - a capital offense that can bring the death penalty. This morning, Frasier said that determination would be made within the next six to eight weeks, after the scientific results of the crime scene are completed.

Fraiser said the DA's office believes both men took part in the stabbings.

”We think both are involved in the stabbings but we have a bunch of scientific evidence that we are waiting on,“ Fraiser said. ”I think we can say, based on the testimony heard at the grand jury, that both of them were involved in stabbing someone.“

Frasier said the DA's office is still investigating the motive behind the incident.

Howell and Poulain are scheduled to be arraigned again at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday in Coos County Circuit Judge Richard Barron's courtroom in the courthouse in Coquille.

The knifing incident unfolded Oct. 9, shortly before police were called to the Empire area of Coos Bay at around 9:45 p.m. They discovered one stabbing victim, Robinson, in the parking lot of McKay's Market. He directed police to his Schetter Avenue residence about 100 yards from the grocery store's entrance. At the house, police found Morris, who died en route to Bay Area Hospital. Stiltner also was stabbed during the incident. He was treated and then released from the hospital last Monday.

Autopsy results released last week concluded that Morris was stabbed at least four times, with two wounds to his neck and face area. Robinson underwent surgery last Monday and is now listed in fair condition after being listed in serious condition for two days, a nursing supervisor said this morning.

Any person with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Coos Bay Police Department at 269-8911 or Coos Stop Crime at 267-6666.