A Pittsburgh doctor killed in a home invasion has been remembered by colleagues and members of the community for his kindness and compassion.
Dr Idris Evans, 46, died on Thursday after he and his wife were repeatedly stabbed while they slept at their home on Linden Avenue in Edgewood Borough, police said. His wife survived the attack.
Evans was medical director of the Paediatric Critical Care Transport Team at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Renee Dellaera, a retired nurse who worked at the hospital, said Evans was among the finest colleagues she encountered during 42 years as a paediatric nurse.
“He was so kind, compassionate, caring, intelligent and funny,” she said. “He treated everyone with respect. Everyone. He was loved by all and touched so many.”
Police describe violent attack
Elijah Hemingway, 32, has been charged with Evans’s death. Investigators allege that he entered the house through an open window, went to the third floor and attacked the couple with a knife as they slept.
Allegheny County Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph described the scene as “very violent”, saying bedroom furniture and mirrors had been broken.
Court documents state that Evans’s wife told police the couple woke to find themselves being attacked in bed with a kitchen knife. During the assault, she shouted for their eight- and 12-year-old children to leave the house.
Hemingway faces charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and trespassing. A motive has not been established.
