A man has been charged with the murder of a Pennsylvania doctor after allegedly breaking into his home and attacking him. This suspect, Elijah Hemingway, 32, has a quite peculiar history, including a prior incident in Florida where he proclaimed, “I am King Tutankhamun” while behaving erratically in a parking lot.
Footage from police bodycams showed Hemingway jumping around parked cars in Daytona, where he assured officers he meant no harm. One officer asked him if he had thoughts of harming anyone, to which Hemingway responded, “No, I am a spirit. I am not a physical being.” He then insisted he was the reincarnation of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh.
Authorities reported that among his 22 previous charges, six were connected to chaotic encounters with law enforcement and a girlfriend. These included three incidents linked to his erratic behavior in the parking lot and three related to accusations of domestic violence.
Hemingway was arrested in July for burglary and theft due to another break-in earlier that year but was released almost immediately on non-monetary bail. Just recently, he allegedly broke into the home of Dr. Idris Evans, where a violent knife assault occurred, resulting in the doctor’s death and severe injuries to his wife.
Gina Evans, the victim’s wife, described the suspect as appearing “psychotic” and noted that he was only in his underwear during the incident, shouting about God and claiming to be God himself when he entered their home shortly after midnight.
During the horrifying attack, the couple tried to defend themselves. Gina reported that her husband called out Elijah’s name, implying he recognized the attacker. However, Hemingway’s claim of having been invited into the Evans home was not substantiated, and he was unable to explain how he knew the doctor.
At the time of the incident, the couple’s children, aged 8 and 12, fled to a neighbor’s house after being told to run by their mother.
As of Friday, Hemingway was still in custody at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh. Dr. Evans was a well-regarded pediatric critical care physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh and served as an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh. UPMC expressed its condolences to the community, mourning the unexpected loss of Dr. Evans.
