Maryland Women Arrested for Allegedly Killing Man and Using His Severed Thumb to Withdraw Cash, Cops Say
Two women have been arrested for allegedly participating in the killing of a man from Washington and using his thumb to withdraw money, police said. Fasil Teklemariam, 53, from 1300 block of Peabody Street, Northwest was reported unconscious to Fourth District officers on April 5, 2024, Metropolitan Police stated.
Police arrived on the scene at 11:21 p.m. and found Teklemariam with stab wounds, Metropolitan Police stated. Emergency responders were called to the scene but weren't able to revive the victim, and pronounced him dead.
On June 17, 2024, 19-year-old Audrey Miller was arrested in connection to Teklemariam's murder by the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force in Hagerstown, Maryland, the Metropolitan Police stated. She is set to go through an extradition process before returning to Washington for further investigation.
Following this, 22-year-old Tiffany Taylor Gray from Prince George's County, Maryland was also arrested in connection to Teklemariam's murder on July 1, 2024, Metropolitan Police Stated. She was taken into custody by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and will also be extradited to Washington to face charges.
Gray and Miller have been charged with first-degree felony murder while armed for Teklemariam's death, WUSA reported. Police talked to several people who claimed that Teklemariam was Gray's "sugar daddy," WUSA reported. Certain people also stated that Gray was allegedly using the victim's thumb to steal money from his account. Teklemariam had previously filed a police complaint alleging that Gray had stolen from him.
Court documents reveal that Teklemariam received trauma to his head and torso, and had multiple lacerations on his legs and right hand, WUSA reported. Police also shared that the victim's thumb had been removed. Autopsy results indicate that the thumb was cut just before the man's death or immediately after it.
"Members of the Homicide Branch and DFS searched [Teklemariam's] apartment and as of this writing, detectives have not located the decedent's thumb, decedent's cellphone, tablet, or any other such electronic device," court documents read as per WUSA.
A forensics team analyzed the crime scene and concluded that a cleaning agent had been used to get rid of the evidence, WUSA reported. By using Amido Black a forensic crime scene technician was able to retrieve a shoe print in blood from the floor.
Police looked into the surveillance footage from the locality to get a breakthrough in the case and it led the investigators to Miller and Gray. A still image submitted among the court documents reportedly features Miller and Teklemariam going into the apartment elevator four days before the latter was found dead. Over the next few days both the suspects are seen coming and leaving the apartment multiple times in the footage.
"The suspects stole several items from [Teklemariam's] resident," the court documents read according to WUSA. "A search of [Teklemariam's] residence showed that several electronic devices and household items were stolen."