Woman accused of slicing off dead man’s thumb and using it to steal from his financial apps
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: GoFundme/Getty Stock Image
A woman has been accused of slicing off a dead man’s thumb and using it to steal from his financial apps.
Three months ago, 53-year-old Fasil Teklemariam was discovered dead in Washington DC with stab wounds - and his accused killer - 19-year-old Audrey Miller, was at large.
That was until last month, when the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia announced that they had arrested the teen, who is believed to be homeless.
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On June 17, she was cuffed and charged with first degree murder while armed.
The police department issued the following statement: "Monday, June 17, 2024. Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch announce a suspect wanted in a fatal stabbing in Northwest has been apprehended.
"On Friday, April 5, 2024, at 11:21 p.m., Fourth District officers responded to the 1300 block of Peabody Street, Northwest, for the report of an unconscious person inside of an apartment.
"Responding officers located an adult male, inside of the residence, suffering from stab wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene and after finding no signs of life, the man was pronounced dead."
It continued: "The decedent has been identified as 53-year-old Fasil Teklemariam, of Northwest, D.C.
"On Monday, June 17, 2024, members of the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested 19-year-old Audrey Miller, of no fixed address, in Hagerstown, MD.
"Miller was wanted on a DC Superior Court arrest charging her with First Degree Murder while Armed-Felony Murder. Miller will go through the extradition process and will be returned to Washington, DC."
The force later added this month that a second woman, 22-year-old Tiffany Taylor Gray, was also arrested and charged with the same crimes.
But it was what happened later that is really shocking.
Following an inquest into Teklemariam's death, documents state that he was found inside a bedroom with blunt force injuries to his head and torso, cuts on his legs and hands and horrifically a severed right thumb.
The autopsy estimated that his thumb was removed while he was near death or not too long afterwards, and his corpse wasn't discovered for between two to five days after his alleged murder.
According to WUSA, a witness told investigators that Gray and Teklemariam were in a relationship, while another shockingly said how Gray used the severed thumb to access his bank account and withdraw money.
Gray is currently going through the extradition process to return to the capital where she will face charges.
It is currently not known whether anyone else will be charged.
UNILAD has approached both Washington D.C. District Attorney’s Office and Washington Metropolitan Police for comment.