Experts can build family trees to try to link DNA in public databases with suspect profile from crime scene

Name: Experts can build family trees to try to link DNA in public databases with suspect profile from crime scene
Uploaded: 2021-09-20T23:25:28.000Z
Duration: 2 min 43 s
Description: Only four days after his arrest, a Durham man was indicted Monday in the 2012 slaying of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth.

Only four days after his arrest, a Durham man was indicted Monday in the 2012 slaying of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth.

Posted 9/20/2021, 11:25:28 PM

SEPTEMBER 14, AGENTS FOUND IN

WYOMING, AN AUTOPSY IS

SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW.

>>> INDICTING THE MAN CHARGED

WITH KILLING FAITH HEDGEPETH IN

HER OFF-CAMPUS APARTMENT IN

2012, THERE ARE A LOT OF

QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE CRIME

HAPPENED, WHAT LED AUTHORITIES

TO THAT SPECIFIC SUSPECT, WE

ASKED WRAL'S AMANDA LAMB TO

LOOK MORE DEEPLY INTO THE

INVESTIGATION SHE IS JOINING US

NOW FROM THE CAROLINA CAMPUS.

>> THIS A S A QUICK TURN AROUND

FOR A DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO TAKE

A CASE TO A GRAND JURY, MUST

MEAN THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY HAD

VERY STRONG EVIDENCE THE

STUDENTS DIDN'T KNOW FAITH

HEDGEPETH BUT KNEW THE STORY.

>> THE NEWS RESULTED IN THE

ARREST, THE GOOD NEWS FOR

STUDENTS HERE AT UNC CHAPEL

HILL.

>> WE ALL PUT OURSELVES INTO

THE FAMILY'S PERSPECTIVE,

FRIEND'S PERSPECTIVE, JUST THE

RELIEF THAT THERE WAS PROGRESS.

>> POLICE ARRESTED MIGUEL LAST

WEEK CHARGED HIM IN THE

SEPTEMBER 2012 OF DEATH IN

HEDGEPETH IN HER OFF-CAMPUS

APARTMENT, OFFICIALS SAY DNA AT

THE CRIME SCENE MATCHED A

SAMPLE FROM THE SUSPECT.

>>> IF I HAD HAD AN INTEREST IN

THIS CASE FOR A LONG TIME.

>> A FORENSIC GENEALOGIST THAT

TAKES DNA RESULTS AND USE THEM

TO BUILD A FAMILY TREE TO HELP

INVESTIGATORS DETERMINE

SOMEONE'S IDENTITY, SHE DID NOT

WORK ON THIS CASE BUT WATCHED

IT UNFOLD, IN 2016, THEY USED A

COMPOSITE PICTURE OF THE

SUSPECT.

>>> THAT IS HELPFUL IN A LOT OF

WAYS YOU KNOW THIS PERSON IS OF

THIS ETHNICITY, THEIR HAIR

COLOR, THEIR EYE COLOR.

>> OVER THE YEARS POLICE

GATHERED AND TESTED ABOUT 200

DNA SAMPLE INS THIS CASE, AS

THE DNA SCIENCE HAS IMPROVED,

SO DID THEIR CHANCES OF MAKING

AN ARREST.

>> WHEREVER THERE IS A TOOL TO

UTILIZE, YOU CAN UTILIZE THAT,

I THINK IN THE HEDGEPETH CASE,

THEY DID EXACTLY THAT, THEY

USED EVERY SINGLE TOOL THEY

POSSIBLY COULD.

>> THERE ARE STILL SO MANY

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS

INVESTIGATION, WE CHECKED AGAIN

FOR SEARCH WARRANTS TODAY, THEY

HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, WE'RE

ALSO TOLD WHEN THEY ARE

RETURNED, THEY ARE LIKELY TO BE