Police charged a 32-year-old Pittsburgh man after investigators said the couple was attacked while sleeping in their Edgewood home.
EDGEWOOD, Pa. — A pediatric critical care doctor was killed and his wife critically wounded after a man entered their home near Pittsburgh and attacked the couple while they were sleeping early Thursday, authorities said.
Dr. Idris Evans, 46, was taken to a hospital after police and emergency crews responded to the home in the 100 block of Linden Avenue shortly after 12:30 a.m. Sept. 24. Evans was later pronounced dead. His wife was also hospitalized after suffering multiple stab wounds. Their two children, ages 8 and 12, were home during the attack but escaped without physical injuries, police said.
Allegheny County police identified the suspect as Elijah Hemingway, 32, of Pittsburgh. Investigators said Hemingway entered the home and attacked Evans and his wife as they slept. Hemingway faces charges including criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and criminal trespass. The charges are allegations, and the investigation remained active.
Investigators believe the attacker gained access to the home through a rear window before reaching the area where the couple was sleeping. Evans’ wife told investigators that she did not know the attacker, according to authorities. Police were still working to determine whether Evans and Hemingway knew each other before the attack. Authorities had not announced a motive.
During the attack, the children were able to leave the house and reach a neighbor, authorities said. Police described extensive damage inside the bedroom as they investigated what happened. The woman also managed to get help after she was wounded.
A search began after officers arrived in the neighborhood. A K-9 unit from the Monroeville Police Department located Hemingway behind a nearby home, police said. He had cuts on his hand and was detained before being taken to a hospital for treatment. Authorities said he was expected to be transferred to the Allegheny County Jail following medical treatment.
Court documents cited by local news organizations provide additional allegations about the attack. Evans’ wife told investigators that she and her husband awoke to the assault and that the attacker made statements about being God. She also reported hearing her husband refer to the attacker as Elijah. Police cautioned that investigators had not established whether the two men had a prior relationship.
Evans worked as a pediatric critical care physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and was an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He also served in a leadership role with the hospital’s Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team, which helps coordinate specialized care and transportation for critically ill children.
UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh said Evans was a dedicated caregiver and valued member of their hospital and university communities. The institutions expressed condolences to his family, friends and colleagues and asked that the family’s privacy be respected.
The case remained under investigation Friday as detectives worked to determine why the home was targeted and whether Hemingway had any connection to Evans before the attack. Hemingway is accused of the crimes and has not been convicted in the case.
Author note: Last updated September 25, 2026.