DNA helped crack Faith Hedgepeth's case

CRIME KITS TO UNCOVER MORE

ANSWERS.

>> CHRIS LOVINGOOD LIVE IN

CHAPEL HILL, THANK YOU.

DAVID CRABTREE IS HERE WITH

MORE .

>> Reporter: THERE IS SO MUCH

WE DO NOT KNOW. THE NORTH

CAROLINA ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSH

STEIN WAS IN CHAPEL HILL TODAY

AND IS JOINING US NOW FOR WE

HAVE HEARD COUNTLESS STORIES

ABOUT HOW DNA WAS THE GAME

CHANGER.

CAN YOU GIVE US ANY INSIGHT HOW

IT CONNECTS IN THIS CASE AND

HOW IT WAS CAPTURED?

>> I CANNOT AT THIS POINT, BUT

I CAN SAY THE EVIDENCE THAT WAS

SUBMITTED HAD A MATCH WITH DNA

THAT WAS SECURED FROM THE

CRIMES NINE YEARS AGO.

>> YOU ALSO SAID IN THE NEWS

CONFERENCE IT IS JUST NOT A

MATTER OF KNOWING THAT THERE

HAS BEEN A MATCH. IT TAKES

PEOPLE DOING SCIENCE TO MAKE

SURE THE DNA IS WHAT YOU THINK

IT IS.

>> THERE IS NO QUESTION IT IS

TIME-CONSUMING TO DO THE WORK

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK

YOU TO THE SCIENTISTS WE HAD

MORE THAN A DOZEN ANALYSTS WORK

ON THE CASE AND OF COURSE THEY

ONLY GOT EVIDENCE BECAUSE OF

THE INCREDIBLE HARD WORK OF THE

CHAPEL HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOLKS

NEVER GAVE UP ON THE CASE. THE

CASE AND NEVER WENT COLD.

THEY CONTINUALLY PRESSED TO TRY

TO GET AN ANSWER AND THIS

ARREST IS A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT.

>> IT IS NOWHERE NEAR THE END

OF THE CASE SO FAR.

I CAN REMEMBER COVERING THIS

STORY NINE YEARS AGO.

THERE IS A LOT OF SPECULATION

ABOUT THE CASE.

DO YOU KNOW IF THE SUSPECT NEW

FAITH HEDGEPETH?

>> I CANNOT GET INTO THAT . I

ALSO WANT TO SAY A WORD ABOUT

HER PARENTS WHO WERE THERE

TODAY AND THE STRENGTH THAT

THEY DEMONSTRATED TO BE THERE

AND TO BE SO THANKFUL TO THE

OFFICERS SHOULD HAVE DONE THE

LEGWORK AND FRANKLY THEIR FAITH

IN GOD TO HELP THEM GET TO THIS

DAY.

>> I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT

THEM BECAUSE WE HURT THE MOM

SAY SHE CRIED TEARS OF JOY AND

THE FATHER SAID HE WAS SO

THANKFUL THAT HE LIVED TO SEE

THIS DAY.

AS YOU TALKED WITH THEM BEHIND

THE SCENES, THAT HUMILITY.

>> IT WAS HEARTBREAKING.

ANY PERSON CAN ONLY BEGIN TO

UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAVE

EXPERIENCED AND TO IDENTIFY WHO

THE POTENTIAL CULPRIT WAS IS

IMPORTANT TO THEM.

THEY KNOW THAT IT WILL NOT

BRING FAITH HEDGEPETH BACK ,

BUT THEY DO WANT TO HAVE HER

AND THEM TO SEE JUSTICE.

>> I CANNOT IMAGINE LOSING A

CHILD, BUT TO LOSE A CHILD TO A

VIOLENT DEATH. I AM SO GLAD WE

ARE AT THE POINT WE ARE NOW IN

SO THANKFUL TO HAVE HEARD FROM