A physician and medical director at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh has died after he and his wife were stabbed at their home in Edgewood Borough, Pennsylvania. A 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the attack.
Dr Idris Evans, 46, and his wife were found with stab wounds at the property on Linden Avenue after police were called at about 12.30am on Thursday. Both were taken to hospital in critical condition, but Evans later died.
Suspect charged after Edgewood stabbing
Police identified the suspect as Elijah Hemingway, who was detained near the scene. Investigators said he was found behind a nearby house with cuts to his hand and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Hemingway has been charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and trespassing.
According to court documents, Evans’s wife told police that the couple woke to find a man attacking them in bed with a kitchen knife. She said the man was wearing only underwear and spoke about “being God”.
During the assault, she shouted for the couple’s children, aged eight and 12, to leave the house and go to a neighbour’s property. She also told investigators that her husband called the attacker “Elijah”, suggesting he knew him.
Sandra Trappen, who lives next door, said she was shocked to discover that the suspect had been hiding in her garden as officers surrounded the area.
“He was hiding, there’s an area of my garden that’s not particularly well manicured like the other parts,” she said. “He had found a way to conceal himself, but apparently he was injured and bleeding.”
UPMC described Evans as a dedicated caregiver and valued member of its hospital and university communities. The organisation said its thoughts were with his family, friends and colleagues, and asked that their privacy be respected.
Evans was the medical director of the Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team at UPMC Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Edgewood police said the borough was a “small and close-knit community” and acknowledged that residents could feel shaken, sad, angry or anxious after the incident. They urged people not to spread rumours, graphic details, speculation or photographs about the case.
