Authorities in Washington, D.C., arrested two suspects who allegedly cut off a man’s thumb after stabbing and slashing him to death to access his mobile payment app in April, according to court documents.
The two women are accused of killing Fasil Teklemariam, 53, in his apartment on or around April 1, 2024, according to the affidavit used to arrest the two women.
Metropolitan Police Department officers showed up to Teklemariam’s apartment April 5 in response to a report of an unconscious male victim in his bedroom. Upon arriving, the officers found the victim unresponsive, suffering from multiple “sharp force injuries.” Teklemariam appeared to have already been deceased when the officers arrived. (RELATED: Police Charge Two Men With Murdering, Dismembering Woman After Discovering Photos Of Her In Cage)
The victim “had trauma to the head, defects to his torso, several lacerations to his legs and a laceration to [his] right hand,” according to the affidavit, which also noted that Teklemariam’s “right thumb had been removed.”
Police were first alerted to the crime after a family member of the victim was unable to get in touch with him for several days. Authorities observed the two female suspects, who were allegedly with two men, as they entered the building on security camera footage. Several items are believed to have been stolen, according to the affidavit.
“Women charged with killing sugar daddy, cutting off his thumb to keep access to his accounts” Two women have been arrested in connection to Fasil Teklemariam’s death — 22-year-old Tiffany Taylor Gray and 19-year-old Audrey Miller.https://t.co/uzMNyjRwS1
— Ryan Sprouse (@RSprouseNews) July 9, 2024
One of the witnesses told the authorities that the victim had been in a romantic relationship with one of the female suspects. This individual also said “they cut the decedent’s finger off” and that one of the female suspects was a prostitute. They told police that Teklemariam was her “Sugar Daddy,” according to the document.
The witness further explained to investigators that Taylor used the victim’s thumb to “obtain money from the decedent’s account.” They used his account to pay for Uber rides, purchase marijuana, and alcohol. Taylor allegedly tried to access his bank account unsuccessfully by calling his financial institution.
The authorities arrested one woman June 21 and she is facing charges for first-degree murder and armed felony murder, according to NBC Washington. Police apprehended the other suspect July 1 and she is facing the same charges.
