The Winchester, Virginia man accused of taking his ex-girlfriend hostage at a Berkeley County home earlier this week is now charged with murder.

Thirty-seven year old Donald Surber was being arraigned via video on a murder charge and an amended kidnapping complaint on Wednesday afternoon.  He is accused of killing 35-year old Katherine Sharp.

"What we know, at this point, is that the cause and manner of death was homicide and it was done by stabbing," Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney Pamela Games-Neely told MetroNews Affiliate WEPM Radio in Martinsburg after an autopsy report was returned.

Games-Neely says that's all investigators are going to say right now.

"The reason we're not releasing any more on the autopsy is out of deference to the children who are picking up these media stories and, as a result of that, we don't want to further traumatize them."

The standoff between Surber and police lasted for 26 hours at Sharp's home near Hedgesville.  Her daughter was able to escape the home and alert authorities on Sunday.

Surber's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday morning.  He's currently being held in the Eastern Regional Jail.