Police say evidence recovered during the Edgewood homicide investigation connected Elijah Hemingway to an attack reported a day earlier in Wilkinsburg.
WILKINSBURG, Pa. — A man already charged in the killing of a UPMC Children’s Hospital doctor is facing rape, sexual assault and robbery charges after investigators linked him to an attack on a woman in Wilkinsburg the day before the fatal stabbing, authorities said.
Elijah Hemingway, 32, was charged after Allegheny County police investigated the Sept. 23 assault, which was reported near a pathway connecting West Street with an alley. Police said the investigation developed as detectives were working on the Sept. 24 killing of Dr. Idris Evans and the stabbing of Evans’ wife at their Edgewood home.
According to the criminal complaint, the woman told Wilkinsburg police she was walking toward her car at about 10:30 a.m. when she encountered a man on the pathway. She told investigators the man followed her, ran after her and grabbed her from behind before forcing her to the ground. The woman also reported that her cellphone was taken during the attack.
The woman told investigators that the attacker identified himself as Elijah during the encounter. She later recognized Hemingway after seeing news coverage of the Edgewood homicide investigation, according to court records. Wilkinsburg police then contacted Allegheny County detectives, who were investigating Hemingway in connection with the attack on Evans and his wife.
County police said detectives recovered several pieces of evidence they believe connect Hemingway to the Wilkinsburg case. Among them was the woman’s cellphone, which had been reported stolen. Investigators also found clothing they said was similar to clothing described by the woman. Police have not said that the new charges have been proven, and Hemingway is presumed innocent unless convicted.
The Wilkinsburg allegations concern an attack reported roughly 14 hours before police were called to the Evans family’s home on Linden Avenue in Edgewood. Officers responded there shortly after 12:30 a.m. Sept. 24 and found Evans and his wife suffering from stab wounds. Authorities said the couple had been attacked while they were sleeping.
Evans, 46, was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. He was a pediatric critical care physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh. His wife was hospitalized after the attack and was later reported in stable condition. Their two children, ages 8 and 12, were home during the attack but escaped without being physically injured.
Police said Hemingway entered the Edgewood house through a window. A police K-9 unit located him near the scene after officers arrived, authorities said. Hemingway was initially taken to a hospital with injuries to his hands before being taken into custody. He faces charges including criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and criminal trespass in the Edgewood case.
The sexual assault case adds a separate set of allegations arising from events the previous morning. Investigators have treated the Wilkinsburg and Edgewood incidents as separate criminal cases while using evidence gathered during the homicide investigation to develop the additional charges. Authorities have not announced a motive in the attack on Evans and his family.
Hemingway was arraigned on the new charges Saturday evening and denied bail. He remains in the Allegheny County Jail as the homicide, assault and related cases move through the court system.
Author note: Last updated September 27, 2026.