Police say evidence links Elijah Hemingway to an alleged Wilkinsburg sexual assault reported one day before the fatal Edgewood attack.
WILKINSBURG, PA — A man charged in the killing of a Pittsburgh-area pediatric critical care doctor is facing additional charges after police accused him of sexually assaulting and robbing a woman in Wilkinsburg one day before the doctor was fatally stabbed.
Elijah Hemingway, 32, has been charged with rape, sexual assault and robbery in connection with the Sept. 23 attack, according to Allegheny County police and court records cited by local news organizations. The new case emerged as detectives investigated the Sept. 24 killing of Dr. Idris Evans, 46, at his home in nearby Edgewood. Hemingway is separately charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and criminal trespass in the attack on Evans and his wife.
Police said the Wilkinsburg case began after a woman reported being attacked at about 10:30 a.m. Sept. 23 while walking along a path connecting an alley with West Street. According to the criminal complaint, the woman told investigators that a man followed her, grabbed her from behind and forced her to the ground. Authorities allege the attacker sexually assaulted her, threatened her and took her cellphone.
The woman told investigators that the attacker identified himself as “Elijah” during the encounter. After seeing news reports about Hemingway’s arrest in the Edgewood case, she told police she recognized him as the man who had attacked her, according to reports citing the complaint. Wilkinsburg police then contacted Allegheny County detectives, who were already investigating Evans’ death.
Investigators said they recovered several items they believe connect Hemingway to the Wilkinsburg attack. Police said the woman’s cellphone, which had been reported stolen, was among the evidence recovered during the investigation. Authorities also reported finding clothing similar to what the woman described her attacker as wearing. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The new charges came after Hemingway was accused of entering Evans’ Linden Avenue home in Edgewood shortly after 12:30 a.m. Sept. 24. Police allege Hemingway entered through a window, went to an upstairs bedroom and attacked Evans and his wife while they were sleeping. Evans later died from his injuries. His wife was seriously injured and was subsequently reported in stable condition.
The couple’s children, ages 8 and 12, were inside the home during the attack but escaped without physical injury, according to authorities and court records. Evans’ wife told investigators that she called for the children to leave the house and go to a neighbor. Police later found Hemingway behind a nearby home with injuries to his hands and took him into custody after he received medical treatment.
Evans was a pediatric critical care physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. UPMC described him after his death as a dedicated caregiver and valued member of its hospital and university communities and asked that the privacy of his family and colleagues be respected.
Authorities have not announced a motive in Evans’ killing. Investigators have also said they were working to determine whether Hemingway and Evans knew each other before the attack. Evans’ wife told police she did not know Hemingway, while investigators said her husband appeared to address the attacker by the name Elijah during the encounter.
Hemingway was arraigned on the new charges Saturday and denied bail. He remained in the Allegheny County Jail as the homicide and sexual assault cases moved through the court system. The charges against him are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Author note: Last updated September 27, 2026.