BUFFALO, NY – A New York man has been indicted on murder charges after allegedly strangling his girlfriend and setting their apartment on fire, resulting in the deaths of the young mother and their 4-day-old son.
Kidane Haile, 30, faces one count of murder in the death of 29-year-old Kathleen Carrig, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. Additional charges are anticipated pending the outcome of an investigation into the infant’s death.
Buffalo Fire officials responded to a blaze in a first-floor apartment of a multi-family residence last Saturday morning at approximately 8:30 a.m. After extinguishing the fire, crews discovered Carrig and her son, Noah Carrig, dead inside.
The medical examiner’s office determined Carrig had been strangled to death prior to the fire. The cause of death for the infant remains under investigation.
Haile was found inside the apartment and hospitalized for several days while receiving treatment for smoke inhalation. He was taken into custody following his release from the hospital.
“We are saddened by tragic death of this young mother and her newborn baby,” District Attorney Mike Keane said. “While this case remains an active investigation, my office has secured an indictment against this defendant who is accused of intentionally killing his girlfriend prior to the fire.”
During a briefing on the case, Keane said Haile used gasoline as an accelerant for the fire, according to Buffalo Toronto Public Media. The fire occurred in Buffalo’s Elmwood Village neighborhood.
Haile works as a financial aid advisor at the University of Buffalo, WKBW reported. Authorities have not released information about a possible motive for the killings.
The district attorney’s office said it is committed to a thorough examination of the evidence and expects to file additional charges against Haile in connection with the infant’s death. If convicted of the current murder charge, Haile faces 25 years to life in prison.
