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Published: 2012-09-25 14:36:00
Updated: 2012-09-26 06:08:41

Radio transmission: Blood found in bedroom of slain UNC student


Faith Danielle Hedgepeth
Faith Danielle Hedgepeth
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Police investigators have been quiet about their investigation into the homicide of a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student, but radio transmissions from Durham County's 911 indicate the 19-year-old was found in her bedroom and that there was blood.

The 5 ½-minute recording doesn't reveal anything else about the circumstances surrounding the death of Faith Danielle Hedgepeth, but it is new information in a case that has family members, neighbors and the community wanting answers.

Durham authorities were the first to respond to a call for help, but the case was turned over to Chapel Hill police.

They have only said that Hedgepeth's roommate found her dead around 11 a.m. on Sept. 7 in their apartment on Hawthorne on the View and that they don't believe her death was a random attack.

They have not publicly identified any suspects.

Other information in the case, including a cause of death and 911 recordings, have been sealed under a court order.

A reward of nearly $30,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case, and investigators are asking that anyone who thinks they might have information that could help to call the Chapel Hill Police Department at 919-614-6363 or Crime Stoppers at 919-942-7515.

Hedgepeth was a junior biology major from Warrenton who, friends have said, had talked about becoming a doctor or doing something to help others.

Friends and family are planning to start a scholarship in her memory that will help Native American students from small communities attend college.

Red Robin in Durham, where Hedgepeth worked, is holding a fundraiser Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and is donating 15 percent of the proceeds to the scholarship.

Hedgepeth would have turned 20 on Wednesday.

"She just was a bubbly personality," her friend, Victoria Chavis, said Tuesday. "She had a smile that was just infectious, and she was a wonderful person to be around."


12 Comments


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I know the public and the family want answers. But believe me the less information given out will be a better chance of catching the suspect or suspects. Because sooner or later someone will slip up and talk about something only the police knows and give themselves away. It is hard but give it some time and they will be caught

The public has no right to know. This is a fallacy put forth by the liberal media in their insatiable quest to entertain. Our media people do not care if they tip off murders, taint evidence or investigations, as long as they can print or broadcast their entertainment. I realize that what they do is supposedly protected by the first amendment, but the founding fathers would turn over in their graves if they could see how out of control the media is today.

disgusted2010 September 25, 2012 5:12 p.m. Report abuse

What the public has the "right" to know is a complicated issue, indeed. Law enforcement must consider the integrity of their investigation and the media should ALWAYS consider the family. I am a news hound and want to know whatabout issues in my community, particularly relate to safety. However, from a painful personal experience, the media posted the address of a crime involving a family member and details about it before we were able to know what happened. No one else

"What we, the public, have a right to know should be balanced against her family and friends' right to not be horrified at every turn with details of this dreadful crime."

The public has no right to know. This is a fallacy put forth by the liberal media in their insatiable quest to entertain. Our media people do not care if they tip off murders, taint evidence or investigations, as long as they can print or broadcast their entertainment. I realize that what they do is supposedly protected by the first amendment, but the founding fathers would turn over in their graves if they could see how out of control the media is today.

do they think the roommate did it?

"Wait a second, if there is a court order to keep everything sealed and quiet - WHY is the news releasing information pertaining to the case?" - dgcreech

I'm assuming that since the police said from the start that this was not a random act and the public is not in danger that they have a very good idea who the killer is. I'm also assuming the media was given permission to release this bit of info. Perhaps I'm giving both to much credit, though.

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