The suspect arrested in the stabbing death of a UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh doctor faces new charges over an incident that took place the day before the stabbing, according to police.
Elijah Hemingway, 32, of Pittsburgh was arrested Sept. 24 after Idris Evans was stabbed to death during a break-in at his home in Edgewood in the early hours of the morning, according to a criminal complaint. Evans' wife was also stabbed repeatedly during the incident and taken to AHN Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville for treatment.
Now, Hemingway faces additional charges related to a sexual assault incident that took place the day earlier in Wilkinsburg, according to police.
Suspect in UPMC doctor killing faces new charges
In addition to the charges he faces in connection to the stabbing in Edgewood,
Hemingway was charged with rape, sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and robbery, according to a Sept. 26 court filing.
As Allegheny County Police Department investigated the stabbing in Edgewood, Wilkinsburg Police contacted detectives about a reported sexual assault incident that took place on Sept. 23, according to a social media post from Allegheny County Police Department.
The incident took place on Sept. 23 at around 10:30 a.m. o a path connecting an alley to West Street in Wilkinsburg, where a woman said she was sexually assaulted by a man she didn't know, police said. Detectives found multiple items connecting Hemingway to the incident, as well as the woman's cell phone, which had been reported stolen during the incident.
Who was UPMC doctor killed in home attack?
Evans died at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh soon after the stabbing. According to his wife, the two of them had been asleep when they awoke to Hemingway attacking them with a kitchen knife and other objects from their bedroom.
Evans was the co-medical director of UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's pediatric transport team, as well as an assistant professor of critical care medicine, according to his profile on University of Pittsburgh's website. He received an undergraduate education in medicine at Pennsylvania State University before attending the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Drexel University College of Medicine. His residency and fellowship both took place at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
He was awarded the Outstanding Abstract Award by University of Pittsburgh's Department of Critical Care Medicine in 2018 on Mitchell P. Fink Scholar Day, as well as the Abstract Scholarship in 2018 by the American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Evans' work on pediatric sepsis in hospital settings has been published by The Journal of the American Medical Association and JAMA Pediatrics.
Who is the suspect in killing of UPMC doctor?
Hemingway was arrested in connection to the stabbing on Sept. 24, the same day it took place, according to a criminal complaint. He faces multiple charges, including criminal homicide, aggravated assault, criminal trespass and burglary. He was arrested previously in July on burglary and theft charges.
It's not clear if Hemingway and Evans knew one another. Evans' wife said she had never met Hemingway, but she recalled her husband using his name during the attack, according to the criminal complaint.
Hemingway told police that Evans had invited him to the family's home prior to the attack and that Evans allowed him inside, though police noted that Hemingway couldn't provide details about where he and Evans met or "other specifics to support his account," according to the complaint. They also said Hemingway didn't have any visible injuries despite cuts on his hand, though he told police Evans had initiated the attack by stabbing him in the back with a knife.
During their investigation, police found a "sizable" amount of blood spread throughout the Evans' home. The kitchen window was open with apparent blood on its base, with a Leatherman-style multi-tool sitting nearby. There was a large kitchen knife in the third story bathroom with apparent blood on its surface.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Suspect in stabbing death of UPMC doctor faces sexual assault charges
