Support truly
independent journalism
Two women have been charged with murder in Washington DC after chopping off the thumb of a “sugar daddy” to unlock his phone and steal money from his digital wallet, police say.
Audrey Denise Miller and Tiffany Taylor Gray were charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Fasil Teklemariam, 53, DC police said. A witness described Teklemariam as Gray’s “sugar daddy,” according to an arrest warrant.
In April, police responded to reports of an “unconscious person” at an apartment building on Peabody Street NW in the city around 11.20pm.
The victim was found in bed, surrounded by broken glass and traces of “cleaning agents,” believed to have been used in an attempt to conceal evidence, according to the warrant.
The victim, later identified as Teklemariam, was found to have died days earlier and suffered “multiple sharp force injuries.”
An autopsy ruled the death a homicide with the report listing head trauma, stab wounds on the torso, leg lacerations, and that the “right thumb had been removed.”
When police first searched the victim’s apartment, they were unable to find his detached thumb, phone, or any other electronic device.
Police believe that the severed thumb was used to unlock the victim’s phone, giving the accused access to his wallet. One witness alleged that Gray “paid for Uber, [bought] weed, and alcohol with use of the decedent’s thumb”, according to the warrant.
Security camera footage from around 7.30pm on April 1 showed Miller walking into Teklemariam’s building.
Hours later, Gray walked into the building. Around 11.30pm, Miller and Gray were captured leaving the building and “appeared to be carrying items from the decedent’s apartment” before fleeing in the vehicle.
“Several electronic devices and household items were stolen,” the arrest warrant states.
Police arrested and charged Miller on June 21 while Gray was arrested and charged on July 1, according to NBC Washington.
Miller’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 30. The Independent has contact a lawyer for Miller for comment.
