Buffalo mother and newborn killed after father allegedly strangles her and sets apartment ablaze

A financial aid advisor for the University of Buffalo, a man named Kidane Haile, 30, just lost his entire young family in a fire that broke out at his home. And after being taken to the hospital for inhaling too much smoke, the police got evidence that Haile might have had something to do with it.

On Oct. 23, Haile was indicted on second-degree murder charges of his girlfriend Kathleen Carrig, 29, and their son Noah, who was only 4 days old. The police had reason to believe that Kathleen’s cause of death was actually strangulation, and they’re still investigating how Noah died.

A few days before Haile’s indictment, on Oct. 18, the Buffalo Fire Department was called to Haile’s house on Norwood Avenue. The call was made at around 8:35 p.m. local time, and by the time the fire department got to the scene — Carrig and Noah were already dead. It’s unclear whether the District Attorney’s office considers the arson an attempt at a cover-up for Haile’s killing.

There’s also no indication of what Haile’s motive could possibly be. It’s certainly not the first case of a father who has killed a newborn — very recently, a young man from Wisconsin was charged with shooting his child as a newborn because he wasn’t ready to be a father in his teens.

According to People, Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane made clear that their intention is to prove that Haile knew exactly what he was doing by saying, “The allegations are that Mr. Haile murdered Kathleen Carrig by strangulation, and that he had done so prior to intentionally starting the fire. We anticipate that the evidence is going to show that he intentionally started the fire with gasoline.”

If Keane is able to prove that Haile was the latest person who committed arson, then added charges should be expected on top of the second-degree double homicide Haile is already facing. Haile is currently facing a maximum of 25 years if he’s ultimately found guilty of the crime he’s accused of.

Carrig’s obituary has already run in the newspaper, where she was called a loving mother, and it named family, friends, and colleagues who have survived her. Notably, there was reportedly no mention of her boyfriend Haile — which would suggest that her family is not on the fence about whether Haile is innocent or guilty. There’s already evidence of strangulation, and in due time, more evidence will certainly come out painting a clearer picture of what happened that night.

Legally, Haile is technically still innocent — at least for now. Unlike others in his position, he hasn’t confessed to anything he’s accused of, and due process will ensure he gets a fair trial. But his defense lawyers will definitely have an uphill task if he pleads not guilty and says he didn’t strangle his girlfriend or burn down his own home.

The burden of proof will ultimately lie on the District Attorney’s Office to ensure they can paint a story that shows Haile’s willful complicity in the tragedy. Hopefully, justice will be served soon.