A beloved Pittsburgh children’s doctor was stabbed to death in his own bed while his wife fought for her life beside him — all as their two young children were inside the home.
Dr. Idris Evans, 46, a physician and medical director at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, died after a horrifying overnight attack at his Edgewood Borough home early Thursday.
His wife, Gina Evans, was also repeatedly stabbed and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Police say the couple was asleep in their third-floor bedroom when a nearly naked intruder allegedly climbed through an open window and attacked them with a kitchen knife.
According to court documents, Evans’ wife woke to find the man stabbing them in bed.
She told police the attacker was wearing only underwear and was saying things about “being God.”
As the assault unfolded, she screamed for the couple’s children, ages 8 and 12, to get out of the house and run to a neighbor for help.
One of the most chilling details came during the attack itself.
Evans’ wife told investigators that her husband called the attacker “Elijah,” suggesting he may have recognized him.
Authorities are still trying to determine whether the two men knew each other and what could have motivated the attack.
Police have said Evans’ wife did not know the suspect.
The scene inside the home was described as horrifying.
“It was a very violent scene,” Allegheny County Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph said.
Police said furniture inside the bedroom was broken and mirrors had been smashed during the struggle.
Officers were called to the home on Linden Avenue around 12:30 a.m.
Both Evans and his wife were rushed to hospitals in critical condition, but Evans later died from his injuries.
Police quickly focused on 32-year-old Elijah Hemingway.
A police K9 team eventually found him hiding behind a nearby house with cuts on his hand.
He was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for treatment before being charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and criminal trespass.
The case has now taken another disturbing turn.
Court records show Hemingway was already facing charges in a separate Pittsburgh burglary case earlier this year.
He had been released on nonmonetary bond and was scheduled to return to court roughly a week after the fatal attack on Evans.
Authorities have not said whether the previous burglary case has any connection to Evans or his family.
For now, the motive in the doctor’s killing remains a mystery.
The loss has devastated UPMC Children’s Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh medical community.
Evans served as medical director of the hospital’s Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team and was also an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
UPMC remembered him as a devoted physician and colleague.
“Dr. Evans was a dedicated caregiver and valued member of our hospital and university communities,” the hospital said.
Neighbors also described the Evans family as warm, outgoing and deeply involved in the community.
One neighbor recalled that Evans once helped carry her groceries home and said the family frequently hosted neighborhood gatherings for children.
The attack has shaken Edgewood, a quiet community just outside Pittsburgh.
Police have urged residents to avoid spreading rumors while detectives continue trying to determine exactly why the family was targeted.
Another demon in human form.