Elijah Hemingway’s burglary case was put on hold after his public defender requested a psychological evaluation, a development that could affect the timeline of the criminal case against him in the fatal stabbing of UPMC pediatrician Dr. Idris Evans.
Hemingway was scheduled to face a preliminary hearing on the burglary charge before he was accused of killing Evans. The hearing did not take place after the defense requested the evaluation.
Phil DiLucente, a defense attorney and legal analyst, said such a request is not unusual given the allegations surrounding the case.
“When you hear the circumstances of this case, a guy who breaks in to the house and says he’s Jesus and says he’s to do something like this, then it begs itself to have a psych evaluation,” DiLucente said.
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Police allege Hemingway broke into Evans’ home in Edgewood in the middle of the night while the family was sleeping. Investigators say Hemingway declared he was God before stabbing Evans to death. Evans’ wife was also stabbed but survived.
Police say Hemingway has a history of erratic behavior. During an arrest in Florida last year, he allegedly called himself the reincarnated spirit of King Tut while jumping on top of cars.
DiLucente said a psychological evaluation could delay proceedings, but it would not necessarily mean a lengthy postponement.
“The average homicide, if I were to guess, is anywhere from a year to a year and a half to begin with,” DiLucente said. “So really, it’s minimized in the sense that it’s something that’s necessary. It will delay it, but it’s not necessarily that it will be something so delayed that it won’t come to trial eventually.”
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If Hemingway is found incompetent to stand trial, the case could face a more significant delay while he receives treatment.
“What happens in this county, we send them to Torrance State Hospital where they will get the medical care they need,” DiLucente said. “And some people do become eventually competent to stand trial, while others remain there until those factors are met.”
A hearing is scheduled for next month, when the court could receive an update on whether the psychological evaluation has been completed and what the findings were.
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