Elijah Hemingway, a 32-year-old man, is jailed following the September 24 fatal stabbing of pediatric critical care physician Idris Evans and the assault of Evans’s wife inside their Allegheny County home, according to the Allegheny County Police Department. The attack occurred just 14 hours after Hemingway allegedly sexually assaulted and robbed a woman on a walking path.
First responders arrived at the residence shortly after midnight on September 24 following a report of a stabbing. Officers discovered 46-year-old Idris Evans and his wife suffering from stab wounds. Evans was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. The couple’s children, aged 8 and 12, were inside the home during the incident and escaped unharmed after Evans’s wife instructed them to run to a neighbor’s house, according to ABC News.
Investigation of the Allegheny County Home Invasion
Investigators described the interior of the home as a violent scene featuring broken mirrors and shattered furniture. According to ABC News, authorities recovered a blood-covered kitchen knife in an upstairs bathroom and determined the suspect gained entry through a back window. A K9 unit searching the area behind the residence located Hemingway, who sustained a laceration on his hand. Police detained him and transported him to a local hospital for treatment.
During a police interview, Hemingway claimed Evans invited him into the residence, though he did not explain how they met. He allegedly admitted to police that he stabbed Evans and his wife with a “Michael Myers-style knife” following an altercation. ABC News reported that Evans’s wife stated the intruder referred to himself as “God” repeatedly and that Evans called the suspect “Elijah” during the attack, though she did not personally know him.
Prior Sexual Assault and Robbery Charges
During the subsequent homicide investigation, police linked Hemingway to a separate crime committed roughly 14 hours prior. According to WTAE, investigators learned a woman walking on a path was grabbed from behind, forced to perform oral sex, and raped. The assailant also stole her cellular phone, which police recovered during the investigation.
Hemingway faces charges including rape, sexual assault, and robbery in connection with the September 23 attack. For the September 24 home invasion and double stabbing, he was charged. Court records viewed by the New York Post indicate Hemingway was out on nonmonetary bail at the time of the attacks, following arrests in February for theft and July for burglary.
Court Records and Prior Arrests in Florida
Records from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in Florida show Hemingway was arrested in March 2025 and charged with domestic battery. In April 2025, authorities arrested him again at a bank after an employee reported he was making threats. Those charges included battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and violation of pretrial release.
During the April 2025 encounter, responding deputies reported Hemingway claimed he was in a simulation and identified himself as the pharaoh Tutankhamun. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office stated Hemingway was held involuntarily for mental health treatment until he was deemed competent to stand trial. He subsequently pleaded no contest and received a sentence of time served.
Current Legal Status
WTAE reports that Hemingway was denied bond in both the Allegheny County double stabbing case and the sexual assault case. He remains behind bars awaiting preliminary hearings.