A Buffalo man charged with killing his girlfriend, then setting fire to their home on Oct. 18 now has a second murder charge for allegedly killing their newborn child.
The evidence indicates that Kidane Haile, 30, strangled Kathleen Carrig, 29, before setting fire to their apartment in the Elmwood Village, Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane said. The evidence also is clear that Haile intentionally caused the death of 4-day-old Noah, Keane said, but he didn’t speak further out of respect for the family.
“This is a horrific tragedy for this family. It's important that they have at least some answers at this stage of the criminal proceeding as to what occurred here,” Keane said. “We've shared, you know, we've had a lot of private conversations with them, and of course, they’re in significant grief.”
Haile has been charged with first degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and third-degree arson in the case.
He has been denied bail, which is not a surprise, said his attorney, Daniel DuBois.
The next steps are reviewing evidence, any potential negotiations, and working on a disposition, DuBois said.
"This case has blown up on social media. I certainly understand the reasons why, but it's Day One of this case, and there's a lot more to go," he said. "So give everybody the time to heal, to grieve, and we can talk again months from now."
Haile has pleaded not guilty and his next court date is Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.
