EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA — Dr. Idris Evans, a pediatric critical care physician at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, was killed in a stabbing at his home in Edgewood, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 2026. Elijah Hemingway, 32, was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, and criminal trespass.

Evans' wife yelled for their children, ages 8 and 12, to flee to a neighbor's house. The children escaped uninjured. Evans' wife told police that her husband addressed the attacker by the name 'Elijah.' She ran from the home and called police. Allegheny County Police said they found Dr. Evans and his wife with multiple stab wounds.

Hemingway was found hiding in a neighbor's backyard with lacerations to his hands. Police found blood on the rear door handle, an open kitchen window, and a bloodstained kitchen knife in the bathroom. Evans' wife was critically injured in the stabbing and remains hospitalized.

Hemingway claimed in an interview that Evans had invited him into the home hours earlier. A criminal complaint revealed Hemingway claimed Dr. Evans invited him into the home hours before the attack, but no evidence of a bicycle—his stated mode of transport—was found at the scene. No evidence of an invitation was found at the scene.

UPMC issued a statement expressing sadness over the loss of Dr. Evans. Dr. Evans served as a medical director at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. He was also an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

Why It Matters

The death of Dr. Evans removes a pediatric critical care physician and medical director from UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. His role as an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh also ends with his death. The suspect, Hemingway, had pending legal obligations at the time of the attack, having failed to appear for a court date related to a prior burglary charge.

Hemingway's criminal record consisted of non-violent offenses prior to this incident. Court records indicate a pattern of low-level infractions, including traffic violations and minor trespassing. The charges filed against him now include criminal homicide and aggravated assault. The investigation continues into the circumstances that led Hemingway to the Evans residence.

Timeline

On January 8, 2026, Dr. Evans, a pediatric critical care physician at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, was killed in a stabbing. The stabbing occurred at the couple's home on Linden Avenue in Edgewood Borough, Pennsylvania.

Hemingway, 32, was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, and criminal trespass. Evans' wife told police that she and her husband awoke to a man attacking them with a kitchen knife. Evans' wife stated that the attacker was wearing only underwear and made utterances about 'being God.'

What's New

Later reporting established that Dr. Evans served as a medical director at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. It was also reported that Hemingway had previously been arrested in July 2026 for a separate burglary in Pittsburgh's Spring Hill-City View neighborhood. Allegheny County Police responded to the attack, and police said they found Dr. Evans and his wife with multiple stab wounds.

Police also said that Evans' wife ran from the home and called police, reporting the couple had been stabbed. Additional details showed Hemingway had a prior burglary charge in February 2026, where he was accused of breaking into a home and stealing two iPhones and a laptop from his former partner's residence. Hemingway had a prior burglary charge in July 2026 for entering a former partner's home and stealing electronics, according to a criminal complaint. He was released on a nonmonetary bond due to no prior criminal history except summary offenses. Dr. Evans was an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Hemingway's prior summary offenses, detailed in Pennsylvania court records, included traffic violations and minor trespassing. UPMC Children's Hospital is hospital in Pennsylvania, United States.