Band films video in memory of slain UNC junior Faith Hedgepeth
An award-winning Native American band is making a music video to remember Faith Hedgepeth, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill junior found dead in her apartment nearly six months ago.
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Dark Water Rising spent about seven hours at the a Haliwa-Saponi Tribal Powwow Grounds in Hedgepeth's hometown of Hollister Sunday filming the video for "Hometown Hero," which the band says will serve to raise awareness in Hedgepeth's unsolved murder.
The song, featured on the band's album, "Grace & Grit: Chapter 1," is about losing someone too soon, According to its lyrics: "Folks try their best, but sometimes it's just too hard to explain."
"There's a lot of questions going on as to what's happening with her case, and we don't want her to be another young native woman whose life falls by the wayside," said Charly Lowry with the band.
Hedgepeth was last seen alive around 3 a.m. on Sept. 7, and had been with her roommate the previous night at a local nightclub called The Thrill.
According to police radio transmissions, the 19-year-old was found around 11 a.m. on Sept. 7 in the bedroom of her apartment on Hawthorne on the View, and there was blood.
Chapel Hill police, however, have remained quiet about their investigation. How she died, 911 calls and other information are sealed under a court order, and there have been no arrests in the case.
No arrest and a lack of information have Hedgepeth's family still in search of answers and speaking regularly to investigators.
"They tell me the same thing pretty much every time I talk to them," Hedgepeth's brother, Chad Hedgepeth, said Sunday. "But I still make it a point to reach out to them, because I don't want them to think that we're forgetting."
What authorities have said is that investigators found DNA from an unidentified man in Hedgepeth's apartment.
Last month, the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit also released a profile of the man for whom it believes Chapel Hill police should be searching.
According to the profile, the killer knew Hedgepeth and might have lived near her in the past and might have made comments about her to close associates.
Also, his behavior might have changed after her death, such as an unusual interest in the case or a change in performance at work or school.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Chapel Hill Police Department tip line at 919-614-6363 or Crime Stoppers at 919-942-7515 or send an email to investigators at crimetips@townofchapelhill.org.
A reward of up to $39,000 is offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
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