A 42-year-old man will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of two women from the city’s Eritrean community.
Nighisti Semret, 55, was fatally stabbed while walking home from work in Cabbagetown in October 2012 while remains belonging to Rigat Essag Ghirmay, 28, were found in a duffel bag off a trail near Alliance Avenue and Humber Boulevard on May 24.
According to Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux, the suspect’s DNA was found underneath Semret’s fingernails as well as on an umbrella belonging to a Good Samaritan who intervened in the attack.
That DNA was subsequently used to connect the suspect to the death of Ghirmay, who police describe as a “supporter” of his who had been helping him with his English language studies and in finding work after coming to Canada from Eritrea.
Police have not determined a motive in either murder, but Giroux told reporters that it is possible that Ghirmay was aware of the suspect’s involvement in Semret’s death and was killed because of it.
“We believe that there is a possibility that the murder of Rigat Ghirmay is linked to Nighisti Semret’s investigation based on the fact that on the day he (the suspect) murdered Ms. Semret he returned home and interacted with Ms. Ghirmay with substantial injuries,” Giroux said. “He was bleeding, he sought medical treatment and Ms. Ghirmay was present for that and must have been interested as to what happened to him and our concern is that the murder of Ms. Ghirmay may have had a lot to do with the murder of Ms. Semret.”
Giroux said the suspect and Semret did know each other through the city’s Eritrean community and may have lived in the same Cabbagetown transition home at one point.
Adonay Zekarias is due in court today.
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