Faith Hedgepeth Homicide

The Unsolved Mystery of Faith Hedgepeth

Introduction

On a fateful September morning in 2012, the quiet college town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was rocked by a chilling discovery. Faith Hedgepeth, a promising third-year student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was found brutally murdered in her apartment. The 19-year-old's life was cut short in a crime that remains unsolved to this day.

The Victim and Her Background

Faith Hedgepeth was born on September 26, 1992, in Warren County, North Carolina. She belonged to the Haliwa-Saponi Native American tribe and was raised by her mother, Connie Hedgepeth, who named her Faith as a symbol of the hope she needed to raise four children amidst family challenges. Despite these difficulties, Faith excelled academically and socially, earning a Gates Millennium Scholarship to attend UNC-CH. She aspired to become either a pediatrician or a teacher and was well on her way to being the first in her family to graduate from college.

The Night of the Crime

The evening of September 6, 2012, began with promise as Faith attended a rush event for Alpha Pi Omega, a sorority she hoped to join. After leaving the event to focus on her studies, Faith and her roommate, Karena Rosario, headed to the university's Davis Library. They later decided to unwind at The Thrill, a nightclub in downtown Chapel Hill. Security cameras captured them leaving the club at 2:06 a.m., marking the last visual record of Faith alive.

By 3 a.m., the duo returned to their apartment. Shortly afterward, a neighbor reported hearing noises akin to heavy objects falling. At 3:40 a.m., a text message was sent from Faith's phone to Brandon Edwards, Rosario's former boyfriend, pleading for him to come over. Just minutes later, another text with a single word, "than," was sent, possibly a correction of a previous typo. These were the last known activities from Faith's phone.

Rosario left the apartment at 4:25 a.m., believing Faith was asleep. She left the door unlocked and was picked up by a friend, Jordan McCrary. Rosario spent the rest of the night elsewhere, attempting to reach Faith by phone around 10:30 a.m. When there was no response, Rosario returned home with a friend, Marisol Rangel. They found Faith's lifeless body in her bedroom, partially covered with a quilt, and immediately called the police.

The Investigation

The investigation into Faith Hedgepeth's murder began under a shroud of secrecy. The Chapel Hill police, deviating from their usual practice, obtained a court order to seal all records as they gathered evidence. They discovered semen at the scene, which helped develop a male DNA profile, consistent with other male DNA found in the apartment. The autopsy revealed that Faith had died from blunt force trauma to the head, likely inflicted by an empty rum bottle found in the apartment.

Eriq Takoy Jones, Rosario's ex-boyfriend, emerged as a prime suspect due to his history of domestic violence and threats against Faith. On the night of her murder, he had sent ominous messages, asking for forgiveness for what he was about to do. However, after obtaining a DNA sample from Jones, investigators ruled him out as it did not match the evidence from the crime scene. Similarly, DNA samples from Brandon Edwards and other men present at The Thrill that night were tested without success.

Public and Media Involvement

In the aftermath of Faith's murder, the community rallied to solve the crime. The university's board of trustees, the local Crime Stoppers chapter, the Haliwa-Saponi tribe, and the apartment complex collectively offered a $29,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The governor's office later increased the bounty by $10,000.

Despite public interest, the case records remained sealed, prompting The Daily Tar Heel and other media outlets to challenge the court's decision. They argued that the public had a right to information, especially as months passed with no arrest. Although some details were eventually released, key records stayed sealed, fueling speculation about the investigation's progress.

A Turning Point

In a surprising development, nearly a decade later, in September 2021, the Chapel Hill Police Department announced an arrest. A suspect, previously not considered, was linked to the crime through DNA evidence after a drunk-driving arrest the previous month. This breakthrough reignited hope for justice, although many questions remain unanswered.

Conclusion

The killing of Faith Hedgepeth is a haunting reminder of the fragility of life and the complexities of justice. As the investigation continues, her memory endures, urging those who loved her and those committed to justice to seek the truth behind her untimely death.

Sources

For more information, visit the original Wikipedia article.