Elijah Hemingway, 32, allegedly broke into the Edgewood, Pennsylvania, home of Dr. Idris Evans shortly after 12:30 am Thursday, stabbing the 46-year-old pediatric critical care physician to death while his wife lay critically wounded. Evans, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh and a dedicated staff member at UPMC Children’s Hospital, died from his injuries. His wife managed to escape to a neighboring house to call for help, leaving their two children, aged 8 and 12, to flee the scene safely.
Body-camera footage obtained by WPXI and reported by the New York Post reveals a disturbing pattern in Hemingway’s behavior prior to the fatal attack. During an encounter with police in a Daytona-area parking lot, Hemingway reportedly told officers, “I am King Tutankhamun,” while jumping across vehicles. When an officer asked if he had thoughts of harming himself or others, the suspect replied that he was a spirit and “not a physical being.”
The Edgewood attack was not an isolated incident in Hemingway’s history. He carries 22 previous charges, six of which involve conflicts with police or a former girlfriend. Earlier this year, he was arrested for burglary and theft stemming from a break-in at an ex-girlfriend’s home but was released on non-monetary bail. In the current case, police found Hemingway hiding behind a nearby home with cuts on his hand; he later claimed Evans had invited him in and attacked him first, a story investigators say is unsupported by evidence.
Evans’ wife told investigators that the attacker was wearing only underwear and claimed to be God during the assault. She noted that her husband called the suspect “Elijah,” suggesting a prior acquaintance. UPMC confirmed Evans’ death, describing him as a valued member of their medical community. Hemingway now faces charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, and criminal trespass.