Elijah Hemingway Charged With Wilkinsburg Sexual Assault Before Stabbing

The investigation into the death of Dr. Idris Evans expanded as detectives connected the suspect to an earlier attack according to county police. Authorities said the 32-year-old suspect is now charged with rape, sexual assault, and robbery stemming from a September 23 incident in Wilkinsburg. While investigating the stabbing, Allegheny County police were notified by Wilkinsburg police regarding a sexual assault that took place on the morning of Sept. 23.

The Wilkinsburg Attack and Recovered Evidence

The sequence of events began on the morning of September 23 at approximately 10:30 a.m. according to police reports. A woman walking along a path that connects an alley to West Street reported that a man grabbed her from behind, causing her to fall to the ground. She stated that he raped her and forced her to provide oral sex after stealing her cell phone.

The victim told investigators that the attacker warned her, stop screaming if you want to live, and stated, I'm going to crack your neck. She also reported that the man repeatedly called himself “Elijah” and a “man of God.” After seeing news coverage of the doctor’s killing, the victim recognized Hemingway and contacted law enforcement, prompting Wilkinsburg police to turn the case over to Allegheny County.

Detectives found various items during the investigation that linked Hemingway to the sexual assault, such as the victim’s cellphone, which had been reported as stolen. At the crime scene of Dr. Evans Edgewood’s home, police also discovered clothing similar to what the victim said Hemingway was wearing during the alleged rape.

I've dealt with a lot of mental health emergencies in my line of work, said Hunter Bodwell, who lives near the scene of the alleged rape. It's understood that when someone's in any kind of situation like this, they're likely to, if someone does one terrible thing in a day, they're probably likely to do other terrible things that day.

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Many West Street residents following the case were shocked to learn of Hemingway’s extensive criminal record and the alleged rape. The time of day that that happened is just, like, absolutely wild. Also, considering that, like, it’s a couple hundred feet away from, like, a school, the school that, like, my son goes to, Cody Weisel said. It’s unfortunate that, like, nothing could have been done to, I don’t know, see these red flags and possibly prevent these tragic incidents that happened this past week.

The Edgewood Stabbing and Ongoing Court Proceedings

Early on Thursday morning, a violent attack in his Edgewood home killed Idris Evans, a medical director from UPMC Children’s Hospital. Dr. Evans and his wife, Gina, were both stabbed while they slept in their home on Linden Avenue. Court documents state that the man used a kitchen knife to attack them in their bed and spoke about “being god.”

Gina yelled for their children, who are 8 and 12 years old, to leave the house and head to a neighbor’s home during the attack, and they complied. Dr. Evans did not survive, and Gina was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Authorities said Evans’ wife was in critical but stable condition and expected to survive. Following the stabbing, investigators described a graphic and violent scene featuring blood on the walls and floor, as well as a broken mirror and broken furniture.

Police said Hemingway appeared to have entered the house through an unlocked window. A K-9 unit found him hiding in nearby bushes. He is charged with homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault and burglary. Hemingway is now being charged with robbery, sexual assault, and rape following consultation with the district attorney’s office. Hemingway was arraigned for the first time in court on Saturday evening and was denied bail. He remains in the Allegheny County Jail with a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 9.