Toronto Police charge man with 2 murders

Toronto police have arrested a 42-year-old man in connection with two murders including the stabbing death of a hotel worker nearly one year ago. Melissa Raftis has the details.

Using DNA evidence, Toronto police linked Adonay Zekarias to the murder of Nighisti Semret.

The 55-year-old was stabbed to death while walking home from the night shift as a cleaner at the Delta Chelsea Hotel last October in Cabbagetown.

Police had previously released surveillance video showing Semret being followed by a man just before she was fatally stabbed multiple times in a laneway. After collecting DNA from the scene, police now allege that man is Zekarias, who is also charged with murder in a second case.

In May, the remains of 28-year old Rigat Ghirmay were found by a passerby on a trail in Toronto’s west end. Police allege Zekarias may have killed Ghirmay because she suspected him in Semret’s death. Semret, Ghirmay and Zekarias are all Eritrean immigrants to Toronto.

Toronto Police Detective Sergeant Gary Giroux of the Homicide unit: “Examination of the scene by the Centre of Forensic Sciences indicated that there was male DNA (which) I know now to be the offender’s DNA under her fingernails. There was DNA of the offender found on that particular bag.”

Toronto Police Detective Sergeant Pauline Gray of the Homicide unit: “I believe that Rigat did know or had figured out what Mr. Zekarias had done and had either confronted him or had let him know that she in fact knew that he was the murderer of Nighisti.”

Even though Zekarias is in custody, police are still seeking the public’s help to determine a motive in Semret’s death. Anyone with information is asked to contact Toronto police.