FYI... DNA Familial Analysis

Over at the Websleuths site someone had asked about the possibility of DNA familial searches being employed to help solve Faith’s murder — the basic idea is that you look for matches to DNA from a crime scene, NOT just from criminal databases, but also from less direct familial matching in the many private databases that now collect DNA for genetic or ancestry study (i.e., you find someone who may be a blood relative to the actual perpetrator of an unsolved crime, thus narrowing your search).

Constitutional and privacy rights make this a highly controversial method in the U.S., though Britain has used it more extensively. Nine states (last I read) in the U.S. currently use the procedure on occasion. North Carolina is not one of them. But, as I understand it, only one state outright bans it, so more may well be employing it in the future, with techniques constantly improving, and population databases becoming evermore widespread.

I understand there are some very difficult issues/concerns involved in its use, but Faith's case certainly seems of the sort where it might be considered.

Anyway, here are a few sites you can read more about the subject:

http://www.dnaforensics.com/familialsearches.aspx

http://www.promegaconnections.com/familial-dna-searching-for-criminal-forensics-qa/

http://www.denverda.org/DNA_Documents/Familial_DNA/families-and-communities-familial-dna.pdf

...And there's much more if you search Google under "DNA familial forensics".

Theorizing Out Loud…

One thing hard to escape, no matter where you read about this case, is all the suspicion that continues to hover around Faith’s roommate (Karena) and her ex-boyfriend (Eriq Takoy Jones). Reading all of people’s pet theories, and the evidence as we know it, I’ve tried to tie it together a bit in one scenario, especially given all that suspicion, even while nothing seems to directly tie these two to the murder scene (yet repeatedly we hear they might know more than they’ve told):

Suppose there was some sort of ongoing tension, jealousy, or love triangle happening between Karena & Faith… that reached a critical point… might KR, already aware of ETJ’s declared desire to do harm to Faith, give him a sort of tacit go-ahead to have her messed with or roughed up a bit to ‘teach her a lesson’ as-it-were. And suppose ETJ knowing he’d be easily recognized/suspected of any such 'assault,' preferred to employ 1 or 2 acquaintances (perhaps at The Thrill that night) to do the deed, and KR then agreed to depart the apt. early and leave the door unlocked… someone, or possibly 2 individuals come over, honestly planning to mess with Faith to ‘deliver a message,’ but when things get out-of-hand smash her head with a bottle that kills her. Possible? KR and ETJ, while not guilty of the actual crime, would be frozen into silence, because of their involvement/knowledge; unable to tell what they knew about something they were essentially accessory to, even if not intended??? 

Perhaps the cryptic bag note was written by KR (many ascribe it to female handwriting & wordage) before she departed, and left for a sleeping Faith as a message/warning to Faith upon awakening??? 

Two individuals that were known to be in contact with Faith and KR at the Club that night were a rapper who’s name I’m not certain of and Jones’ cousin (Jones himself was not there), BOTH of whom apparently lived in the same apt. complex as ETJ, KR, and Faith. Were they involved? (I assume they were interrogated by police?) Or, if not them, one or two others from Jones’ circle of contacts? All we can do is speculate, but perhaps this scenario would explain why 4+ years after the fact no evidence puts KR or ETJ directly at the crime scene, and yet so much suspicion clings to them.

OR, maybe everything in all the released police reports, and prior speculations, are just red herrings. Maybe KR and ETJ are themselves just victims of circumstances and appearances. Perhaps, in accordance with the 20/20 report, we need be looking for a Latino who hasn't been on anyone's radar, and is possibly long gone from the area by now. So many what-ifs, so many 'maybe's, and so much time passed... AND, so frustrating.

Pondering....

In large part, since law enforcement has indicated it had “100s” of new leads generated by the earlier 20/20 broadcast, I was content to wait and see what new info, if any, might come from those leads. On the other hand, unless there’s a major breakthrough, I suspect we won’t hear from the police again until next fall when they tell us for the 5th year in a row that they are asking for any new info the public can provide. :-(

So in meantime, I’ll throw out one thing I’ve grappled with:

By all indications Faith’s death was very violent; one might expect a lot of noise/commotion. Yet, other than a downstairs neighbor mentioning some unusual sounds around 3am (before roommate Karena had even departed), there’s been no auditory indication of a major struggle later in morning. This would seem to imply that Faith was either drugged or completely overpowered/controlled. The autopsy gives no indication of any drugs (beyond a small amount of alcohol) being in Faith’s system. I find it hard to imagine one individual being able to subdue another so quietly amidst such violence, which is why I’ve thought it likely that 2-3 individuals would be required to overpower Faith while maintaining relative quiet in that room. But still, I’m merely speculating… [the other possibility is that she was with individuals, she knew and trusted (and not strangers), and somehow had little time to react before realizing what was happening, by which time it was too late?].

I’ll add that the whole crime certainly appears to be one of impulse, not a premeditated killing. Was it a robbery, rape, drug deal, lovers-quarrel, or something else gone bad, turned into vicious, unspeakable murder? When will we know? Someone out there... perhaps someone reading these very words... knows the answers. . . .

Could It Be This Easy? (...with Addendums)

The big news from the ABC 20/20 take on the Hedgepeth case was release of a “DNA phenotype” reconstruction of the suspected killer of Faith:
https://twitter.com/ABC2020/status/779559747385036800

This “photo” might suddenly move the case forward in a way that hasn’t happened for 4 years, though it is no slam dunk. I’ll come back to it later, but first want to mention all the other details that were either new or interesting to me from the episode (in no particular order):

1)  one big question still unanswered is, why did roommate Karena Rosario leave the apt. door UNlocked when she left ~4:30am in morning knowing Faith was still in the apt. MANY are casting aspersions at KR because of this (among many other things), so it would be good to know what explanation she gave to law enforcement for this, though it may be as simple as college students, in nice complexes, often leaving their door unlocked. Relatedly, it's always been odd that the autopsy report never gave an 'estimated time of death' for Faith? ...pretty important information (one assumes police have it and it conforms to their timeline).

2)  confirmation that Takoy Jones was NOT at The Thrill on the night of the murder; also he DID have his DNA tested (no match). He remains a person-of-interest for what further information he may know. Not clear to me if there remains anyone at this point who has refused to give a DNA sample when requested by investigators, but it sounds as if all Faith's known acquaintances have cooperated?

3)  The evidentiary fast food bag left at the murder scene came from “Time Out” restaurant (a popular local food joint), and NOT from Wendy’s (nearby to the murder scene).

4)  Police continue to believe that the “butt dial” call made from Faith’s phone came from The Thrill night club and not from the murder scene. Many people still place a lot of weight on that garbled call; I do not.

5)  Police say the roommate Karena was very cooperative in her multiple interviews with them (just what she had to say is still largely unreleased).

6)  Suspicion was cast at a former (ex-con) roommate of Brandon Edwards (friend of both Karena and Faith), another key figure in the case. But not clear to me that those suspicions are going anywhere.

7)  Downstairs neighbor heard “thumps” and commotion from a “trio” in upstairs apt. around 3am. that morning! — this is well before Karena departed ~4:30am., and thus VERY interesting, tantalizing testimony (for those who believe Faith was killed while KR was still there), though once again inconclusive (and off timeline).

8)  DNA on fast food bag, pen, bottle, and Faith all match (unknown male), presumably from the killer, but hasn’t matched any of 100s tested. Also, worth noting that despite widespread blood spatter at scene, there was NO BLOOD on the food bag (was it brought into room and written on after the crime?)

9)  Several key figures in this case refused to take part in the ABC investigation — I DO NOT find this odd or suspicious. These folks have repeatedly given testimony to law enforcement and sometimes others. Dredging up these memories/thoughts yet again, 4 years later, for TV cameras, is probably not something they see as productive or useful. From their perspective nothing good could come of it except putting themselves, perhaps unnecessarily, into the spotlight — and if any of them are engaged with lawyers, I’m sure lawyers advised against it. I only say all this to stress that reluctance to engage with a television crew is not a sign of guilt or innocence, especially after this much passage of time. Whatever these people think they have to say about the case, they have said by now to proper authorities.

In 1000s of comments around the Web following the ABC program I continue to see a great deal of accusations pointed at both Karena Rosario and Eric Takoy Jones. I’ve never been in that camp, and it remains my impression that law enforcement has largely ruled both out as the killer, though either might still know more than what they have told. My own (admittedly subjective, intuitive) view continues to be that the killer(s) came from individuals who had engaged Faith at The Thrill night club that horribly fateful morning, though the specific persons of most interest may change due to the ABC investigation.

Now, returning to that DNA phenotype….

This is a relatively new form of forensic evidence; using DNA to reconstruct an actual photo-like composite picture of a person. As far as I can tell only a couple of companies are actively touting it in the U.S. and it is not clear to me that there is much track-record of its success (or failure). Thus, I have to start from a skeptical position, especially given how easily genetic information is mis-used or mis-applied. It would be great if the released composite DOES bring new leads and an end to this case; but I wouldn’t be surprised if the culprit once captured looks nothing (or little) like that picture.

The really interesting part though is the assertion, with better than 50% probability that the killer is “Latino.” I’m not sure if ANY of the previous, high-profile suspects were Latino? Does this throw the case in a whole new direction???

CHPD has long claimed that they were very near to catching the perp in this case, they just needed a little bit more evidence from the public to lock it down. Yet the ONLY real significant evidence they seem to have is the DNA. Essentially, they have evidence to rule people out, but seem to have little other than the DNA to point to people who haven’t already been looked at. Have they been going on wild goose chases for 4 years, and now must turn in a different direction? THAT is an impression the episode leaves.

Faith’s Facebook, Twitter, or other pages may have pictures of her killer. Could it be as easy as matching them up to a computer generated DNA phenotype? Is the killer facing us on a computer screen? Time will tell.

Lastly, one interesting suggestion I read in a comment somewhere on the Web would be to send the suspect DNA to a large DNA genealogical-testing company, like “23 and Me” (costs $100), and have them test to find relatives of the killer. Not sure how practical this is, and it may well not even be legal (except by some sort of court order). If it were that simple I suspect these companies could open whole new forensic divisions at significant profit.

I’m still investigating some things so might have addendums here later, but have already seen so much commentary online about the ABC broadcast that I felt the need to offer some first impressions for now.  The key, immediate take-away question from the broadcast is whether or not the released DNA phenotype composite is a valid, credible rendition of the individual we are looking for, or simply another misleading distraction to this case (or somewhere in-between)?

ADDENDUM: in looking over old notes one person-of-interest not much seen in 20/20 report is Jacob (Jake) Beatley, who has long since left N.C., but who’s whereabouts (possibly near the murder scene) on the morning of the murder were of some interest — also, last I knew he did refuse to give a DNA sample [ADDED: actually in re-watching the broadcast it is indicated that he DID give DNA and was not a match]. Don’t know if by now he has been cleared of any significant connection to the crime, or where things stand with him, (though I don’t think he was ever a serious suspect, just someone with possible information)?

In lieu of the 20/20 episode it would be interesting to know the whereabouts of various men (I’ll just use initials, J.J., K.R., H.C., J.R., E.W., R.C.) on the night/morning of murder, though again none may be connected to the crime.

sidenote: one of the oddest mysteries of this case is the meaning of the message scrawled on the fast food bag that is hard to make sense of. Supposedly it reads, “ I’m not stupid bitch jealous” — it is open to several interpretations and many folks have speculated that “jealous” is a word more often used by females than males. Long ago I saw someone suggest that the word in question may not be “jealous” but in fact “Jeazous” — with what looks like an “L” actually being a mis-shapen, scrawled “z” on a wrinkled bag. At the time I didn’t think much of the unlikely idea, but am now more willing to give it consideration. “Jeazous” is apparently used in some quarters as an alternative to “Jesus” and could be employed either as a signature or simply an exclamatory word. It may be used by gamers or perhaps in the Latino community. Not sure, but maybe worth considering — the note may make more sense, with that word as a sign-off? Even simple evidence in this frustrating case is hard to make sense of.
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ADDENDUM II:  Around the Web (and in email to me), what I keep seeing most is the theory that roommate Karena is directly involved in the crime (many are quite adamant about it), if not the killer, than being present when the crime transpired, or at least knowing what happened. People seem to arrive at that same conclusion from various paths (often just ‘women’s  intuition’) — I remain doubtful of it (for too many reasons to mention), but think it important to acknowledge that of those who’ve followed the case, in the court of public opinion, it’s a very common line of belief, so don’t want to entirely discount it.

The second biggest theory I see/hear of course points the finger at Karena’s ex-boyfriend Eric Takoy Jones, again for too many reasons to go back over. And yet again the police seem to have covered Jones quite thoroughly, and so far as I can tell cleared him, despite the heavy initial evidence pointing his way.

At the same time police have hinted for a long while that they have substantial circumstantial evidence against an individual and just need something a little more definitive — it’s difficult to see who, outside of KR and ETJ could have so much circumstantial evidence amassed against them.

But with the 20/20 report emphasizing a Latino perp that certainly re-focuses the case elsewhere, from those named in released documents. Many folks say the produced composite looks a lot like a ‘male Karena’ (asking that her relatives be looked at) — once again though I don’t really see it. The composite is just generic enough to look like a lot of young Hispanic males. Among Faith’s circle of digital acquaintances I found two I believe look quite similar to the DNA phenotype and probably another 4-5 that bore some interesting resemblance. There may be no shortage of ‘look-alikes’ for the image that has been generated, and Orange County, where the crime happened, has a large Hispanic population. All of which is just to caution that while I truly hope this new forensic tool sends the case in a fresh, productive (and final) direction, it might not.

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ADDENDUM III (9/27/16) -- the local press reports that there have been 100s of leads from across the country to Chapel Hill police since ABC's 20/20 broadcast. Let's hope many of these can be quickly dismissed and LE can soon focus on a few truly valuable, promising new leads.

------------------------------

20/20 This Coming Friday

New story from Tom Gasparoli reporting that the 20/20 piece (ABC) on Faith's murder will be aired this coming Friday (9/23/16). Tom interviewed Miguel Sancho a senior producer for the story:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/dn-opinion/article102628902.html

It doesn't sound as if ABC settled on any specific theory in the investigation, but we'll see. Nor does Sancho reveal any new information in the interview, but does say that “We are confident viewers of our report will get a significant amount of previously undisclosed information.” So that is encouraging.

More importantly we'll see if the national exposure brings any further developments in the 4-year-old tragedy.

ADDENDUM:  ABC News has posted a promo for the 20/20 episode. It does contain a few new bits of information that I assume may be more fleshed-out during the program. At this late date (after what seems a sloppy investigation) new information has to be taken slightly skeptically unless fairly definitive evidence supports it. But after the show I may add to or alter the summary/timeline given above if new details appear convincing:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/murdered-unc-students-final-moments-police-happened-faith/story?id=42281581



ADDENDUM II:  Have watched the show now, and it does contain at least some new information which I'll post about when I've digested it further (and in context of all past information) -- am sure it will get good coverage in local media, but again, while hopeful, feel skeptical of it solving the case (could even complicate the case further, but I need to review some old notes).

New Public Outreach

Thanks to someone at the Websleuths website for pointing out this new Crime Watch video of Chapel Hill PD coming forth with a few more snippets of information on the case (not sure why this info couldn't have come out sooner than the 4-year mark, but perhaps the case, under new direction, will now be more forthcoming -- any new verbal reports from the public, after a 4-year lapse, will have to pass tests of credulity and memory, but with technological advances maybe there will yet be new forensic evidence at some point). There are several points made in the clip that some readers here will find of interest:

   
                              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO2R-EV0ruU

20/20 Involved

Another fresh entry from Tom Gasparoli upon the 4th anniversary of Faith's tragedy, primarily to report that ABC's 20/20 broadcast will focus on the case in an upcoming episode (according to Tom, probably this coming Friday or the next Friday -- ADDENDUM: as of 9/16/16 still not shown so stay tuned). More national exposure for this brutal unsolved crime:

http://www.gaspowrites.com/2016/09/four-years-tonight-2020-is-on-case-now.html

Just another reminder that this case will NOT fade from memory, fade from coverage, fade from people's thoughts, nor fade from the consciences of all those complicit... it is with you forever... and forever is a long time.

Let's all hope this national exposure may jar a memory, or jar some sliver of humanity into coming forth and break the Faith Hedgepeth case wide open.


ADDENDUM: 

A new article in local press has police calling the case still “very active” and claiming 

that LE ”anticipates additional information being made public ‘in the coming weeks and months’ that police feel will help further the investigation”... so guess we’ll see if there’s any veracity to that.

4-Year Anniversary

Approaching the 4-year anniversary of this horrific crime, Tom Gasparoli has a new column on it, having interviewed police staff who relay a bit more than they have in the past:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/dn-opinion/article95292287.html

Not much new information though. Lt. Celisa Lehew is the new head of the case and she re-confirms that the "pocket-dial" phone call that made news earlier this year was most likely from the nightclub Faith visited that evening, and not directly from the apartment crime scene. The police seem willing to confirm... at this late date... a few other small details, but still fairly tight-lipped, re-iterating though, from their standpoint, it is not a cold case. 
"1800 - 2000" individuals interviewed and 100+ DNA samples analyzed, but no resolution for Faith's family and friends. According to the article, the Chief notes that "the number of legitimate suspects" is "closer to 10;" no indication though to what degree those "10" have cooperated with the investigation, been DNA-tested, are still in the area, or remain in touch with law enforcement. Maybe... next year... more info... will be forthcoming.

And so, so, so it goes. 

The Full Enhanced Voicemail

Tom Gasparoli has now posted the full enhanced version of the voicemail (with the transcribed words):
http://www.gaspowrites.com/2016/02/blog-post.html

Have to say I don't find the interpretation/analysis as given very convincing, especially without knowing more about the methodology/techniques used for "enhancement." May all be a red herring for naught; as others have noted the timestamp issue still needs to be resolved before taking the voicemail seriously.
Hopefully, in time we'll know enough more to ascribe proper weight (if any) to this latest bit of "evidence."

One thing I will note is that during the recent press conference regarding the indictment in the Mississippi Jessica Chambers case it was repeatedly stressed that the case was solved and driven by "forensics and data," NOT by the usual 'word on the street' or other public input. I can't help but believe that Faith's case too is likely reliant upon forensics and data -- law enforcement's repeated (almost obligatory) requests, at this late date, for new information/reports from the public, seem unlikely to advance the case. So it would be great if the voicemail indeed offered such forensic evidence; I'm just not persuaded as yet that it does.

Still, More....

Be sure to read yesterday's update, from which this one follows. Obviously, the newly-disclosed voicemail creates a flurry of new interest in Faith's case, at least for time-being.
Tom Gasparoli writes a new, more personal entry of his reactions to the tape and transcript here:

http://www.gaspowrites.com/2016/02/a-re-typed-version-of-transcript-of.html

Very telling... IF (IF, IF, IF) the purported voicemail actually emanates from the murder scene.
Again, I wish I knew exactly how this garbled voicemail was enhanced (and how much the enhancer knew of the crime story ahead-of-time?). Also, wish I understood better what the various explanations for the time-stamp discrepancy can be?

With that said... it seems like there's no reason to avoid the elephant-in-the-room here... IF the interpretation of voicemail is as some purport then clearly Faith's roommate Karena Rosario is implicated in the crime scene.
I've never leaned in that direction in the past, but of course a great many have (I have leaned toward 2-3 participants coming from The Thrill nightclub).
In the past I've avoided linking to this "statement analysis" of the Rosario's 911 call because I'm skeptical of 'statement analysis' in general (and still don't put a lot of weight in this particular analysis), but I'll link to it now and let others make up their own minds:

http://statement-analysis.blogspot.com/2015/12/911-call-faith-hedgepeth-murder-2012.html?m=1

The names "Dave" and "Big Mike" (from Gasparoli's piece) may also specifically, but more speculatively, point to certain individuals in released documents.  One certainly wishes we could know the answers that Rosario and other key figures gave to various questions under interrogation, but that's not about to happen.
Clearly, the validity of the interpretation of this voicemail needs to be resolved quickly, and with today's digital forensic tools it's hard to believe it can't be done (indeed, hasn't already been done).

Meanwhile, thanks to Tom Gasparoli for being a bulldog on this case... while LE seems to but whimper.

Gasparoli on the Voicemail

Another column from Tom Gasparoli today, now that he has heard the entire 3-minute voicemail referenced earlier, and read a transcript for it... a VERY disturbing column to read (he's also indicated he'll have more to say later):

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/dn-opinion/article62000817.html

Again, without further details about the voicemail (and I haven't heard it myself, except the snippets presented on TV), I would caution readers against jumping to quick conclusions. BUT clearly, it opens many questions/concerns, including begging the question, WHAT was CHPD doing with this tape for 3 years?

Still, the time-frame issues need to be better resolved... is the phone time-stamp this far off and if so, how come, OR is the official police time-line hugely botched (and if so, how come)?
I think this voicemail story still has some distance to go... in some ways I'd be amazed if this one piece of 3-year-old evidence ends up breaking the case... but, one can hope.

A Voicemail!

Wow!, wasn't expecting to have another post this soon, but one of the local papers today carries a story of an odd, garbled voicemail from Faith's phone on the night of the murder, hitherto unreported by Chapel Hill's 'finest' -- it may indeed have nothing to do with the murder (as they seem to feel), but I suspect few trust their judgment at this point anyway. The story is here:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/chapel-hill-news/article60733021.html

And more importantly it comes directly from this crime-watch show just broadcast today:

http://crimewatchdaily.com/2016/02/16/crime-watch-daily-investigates-the-murder-of-faith-hedgepeth/

(also available, in 5 parts, at YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=crime+watch+daily+faith+hedgepeth

I haven't even had time to view it yet (nor listen to the voicemail), so may have more to write later (or perhaps not, if it only seems like overdone hype -- just peculiar that law enforcement felt a scribbled bag note was worth publicly releasing, but this voicemail was not).

ADDENDUM:  I'm late to the table on this; I see Tom Gasparoli has already posted some thoughts about the story/new-info here:

http://www.gaspowrites.com/2016/02/179-terrible-seconds-first-thoughts-on.html

(I'll withhold any thoughts 'til I've reviewed the program and tape for myself.)

ADDENDUM II:  I've given the show a once-over (and parts of it a twice-over) now...

I don't find it convincing... but that's not to say I think it's wrong. It is merely to say, that from what was shown I don't feel confident enough of the forensics and expertise involved to trust the conclusions reached. And unfortunately these type crime programs often hype/exaggerate their findings. The tape analysis and conclusions have been sent to law enforcement, so we'll see (perhaps) if they find the analysis useful or actionable. As a viewer, without knowing further details of the methods, it is simply difficult to judge the validity of the results .
Having said that, the show clearly (without using names) is pointing a finger at at least two people. Frankly, I almost hope the show is wrong, because if it is right about those two individuals who were essentially looked at closely by police early on and turned free, it would be even more damning of law enforcement's competency in this case.
Anyway, somewhere, the truth is out there... and perhaps we are drawing closer to it.....

ADDENDUM III (2/21/16) : just a quick note that local reporter Mark Schultz has now posted again on the voicemail story; nothing really additional to above information, but at least keeping the story up front:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/chapel-hill-news/article61107117.html#storylink=mainstage

Personally, I remain rather skeptical of the voicemail interpretation, but perhaps time will tell otherwise.

3 1/2 Years On....

Tom Gasparoli ran another column on Faith's case a couple weeks back... nothing new, and you can sense Tom's frustration (like all of us) with law enforcement at this point. He apparently posed 20 questions to them, and received no satisfactory answers. They continue to give out little information, yet keep requesting new info from the public... 3+ years on no less... as if any new information (short of a confession or DNA evidence) at this point could even be taken as accurate or credible.

As I've indicated before, more and more it simply appears like a cover-up of a case badly-botched by small-town police and the Durham District Attorney in the first 72 hours following the murder. They continue to expend great effort on jaywalkers and speed traps, but give no sense of what effort is going into catching a murderer-on-the-loose. Perhaps they're hoping we will forget Faith Hedgepeth... despite few articles about her tragedy these days we won't. And across the country, Faith is just one of many such victims.

Tom ends his piece simply, "40 months. 20 questions. Zero answers."  Indeed.
Read it here, if you haven't already seen it:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/dn-opinion/article58109918.html

Sad Sad Anniversary

Long time, no news from here... and the silence is itself sad.
With the 3-year anniversary of Faith's brutal murder approaching, "Gaspo" has written a new column for the local newspaper:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/dn-opinion/article31185011.html

Nothing really new to report though, but Gaspo recommends that transcripts of various police interviews ought finally be released to possibly move the case along. I certainly agree... and am equally certain that the powers-that-be will never do that; but maybe at the 3-year mark they'll loosen up on some bit of evidence and throw the public another bone to chew on... do they even comprehend how incompetent they appear in the public eyes?

In the last year I've followed some other brutal crimes on the Web, notably the Jessica Chambers murder-by-fire in Mississippi -- also, incredibly, unsolved after almost 9 months (some rumors at the moment that it may be reaching conclusion, but for now just rumors).  In looking over a lot of horrible cases what becomes clear is that, unlike the fairy-tale world we were all raised in, crime DOES often pay in America (pay in the sense of getting away with it)... it especially pays in smaller metropolitan areas where law enforcement is of limited competency... where, like all public agencies these days, they are understaffed, under-trained, under-equipped, and underfunded for major investigations -- they have plenty of time for speed traps and traffic stops that bring in the dollars $$$, but not so much time for murder investigations that bring in little or no money, and cost plenty. Police Departments, to a greater extent than admitted, have to be run like businesses, more than just public services. Tens of thousands of cases across the country go unsolved.

Personally, I still believe 2 or more individuals were likely responsible for Faith's death (probably long gone from our area, and wreaking havoc elsewhere), and I still believe they will eventually be caught, but whether it will be next year, 5 years from now, or 10 years from now, I'm no longer willing to hazard a guess.
The 3-year anniversary is around the corner (Sept. 7); we'll see if that shakes anything further loose... or, if ineptness continues to reign.

Nothing New

Nothing... at... all. :-(  Everytime I re-read the documents and reportage on this case I find some little bit I've missed before, leading to more thinking and a few more google searches, but each time I come away gleaning less than the time before. If I'm gleaning anything, it's more uncertainty. While I personally still believe the killer(s) came from The Thrill night club that fateful early morning, I am less certain he/they is among those mentioned in released documents (though still certainly could be). And yeah, there are plenty of other, completely different scenarios, as well.

The more I look at this and other cases, the more depressing it is how many major crimes go unsolved... or even when there are solutions, it is less than clear if the correct perp is apprehended. Very depressing (unlike the 1-hour cop dramas that have nice, tidy wrap-ups within 60 mins., perhaps even most major crimes go unsolved in this country). And each time I read through Faith's case now, it's 2-3 weeks minimum before I can bring myself to read through it again. The viciousness... the senselessness... and the incomprehensibility of no resolution after 2+ years.

Despite frequent police protestations to the contrary this has all the appearance of a cold case for law enforcement. Some one of us in the public must find the bit, the clue, the break, the connection, the comment, the untold secret, that will ignite a match under this case; that will shine a light where light hasn't shone before.
I still have hope and confidence that Faith's killer will be found... for one thing whoever did this will undoubtedly (and likely already has) commit other crimes; their fingerprints, DNA, or other connections back to Faith's murder will eventually show up on some screen somewhere. It is a matter of time. Here's hoping that all of Faith's friends and family are around long enough to see it happen.

Social Media

Here are just a handful of the social media accounts that may bear some sort of connection to this case (some of these may be old or inactive, and there are other accounts I'm not listing, but it's a start, and may add to it later... or send me any additional accounts you think ought be included; lots of possibilities):

https://www.facebook.com/faith.hedgepeth?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/karena.rosario?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/ebrandon915?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/TakoyJones?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/jake.beatley?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/JordanMcCrary09?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/david.bell.507?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=2713627&fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/brandon.wright.37051579
https://www.facebook.com/clinton.beasley.7?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/TheThrillatChapelHill
https://www.facebook.com/Hawthorneattheview
http://instagram.com/karena.lynn
http://instagram.com/ole_faithful
http://instagram.com/b.edwards_?modal=true
https://twitter.com/B_Edwards_
https://twitter.com/IAmNoPocahontas
https://twitter.com/Karena__lynn

A New Article

A WebSleuths participant has posted a link to a wonderful new longish piece about Faith here:

https://synapse.creatavist.com/hedgepeth

Doesn't add much to specifically solving the case, but a LOT of great backstory information. Anything that tells the story to more people and keeps it on peoples' radar is a big plus. And it helps compel those of us who feel stymied by the case to keep pushing forth as well.
Please read it.

Moving in Circles....

I keep coming back to the section referred to earlier (pages 95 through 98 of the released documents, covering March 6, 2013 to March 12, 2013) recounting individuals who encountered Faith at The Thrill nightclub on the fatal morning.  It's amazing that these interviews came in March 2013 -- a FULL SIX MONTHS after the murder! Is there some explanation for why contacts at The Thrill weren't looked into, oh say maybe, perhaps, uhhh, within 48 hrs. of the crime??? Will law enforcement's behavior become more comprehensible once this crime is solved???... as one commenter remarked to me in a coffeehouse, 'if you want to commit a serious crime in the Triangle and not be caught, then come to Chapel Hill to do it.' Another party referred to local law enforcement as "Mayberry RFD" so low has their credibility sunk, largely I imagine due to this case. Other off-the-cuff opinions I've heard range from law enforcement being 'hog-tied by overpaid lawyers,' to 'they're in over-their-head' or 'simple small-town incompetency,' and even to 'it's all a cover-up.' Pretty harsh. My own guess (until shown otherwise) is still that law enforcement thought they had a slam-dunk case against KR's ex-bf early-on and botched the investigation in the first month, or even the first 72 hrs., by not rapidly looking at other leads. But maybe once the case is resolved everything will come together to make sense. Maybe.

Anyway, there were at least 6 people at The Thrill who had some connection to Faith on the fateful morning. I believe their initials are, DB, QB, BW, BME, JRB, and a roommate who's name I don't know. There are at least a couple different versions of how some of these persons arrived at and left The Thrill (which is suspicious in itself, though could be the result of mere faulty memories over the 6-month lapse in interrogation). Also, not clear to me if K. Rosario's ex-bf, ETJ, or her later pick-up that morning, JM, were present at The Thrill that morning (it is mentioned by at least one source that a cousin of ETJ was there, and also that a "rapper" was there; ETJ is a rapper). So we have an abundance of POIs present, but, as I've cautioned before, no telling how many others had contact with Faith that morning at the night club, who aren't even mentioned in the released documents. Again, the police likely have this all much better-sorted out through their interviews, but they ain't sayin'. And other folks have completely different theories on who the main suspects should be (not necessarily from The Thrill).
Yeah, feels like we're ambling around in circles at this point... and biggest worry of all is that we'll still be doing so come September of next year, when again, some uniformed officer will venture forth in the press and beg, 'someone in the public to please come forth with new information'... deja vu, all over again... while the Hedgepeth family and friends head into yet another Holiday season with no closure.

The 911 Call

As I expected, not much response thus far to sorting through the various Thrill comings and goings, and I'm currently thinking about some other things as well. Meanwhile though, in private communication someone has proposed a theory to me, completely, utterly different from the path I've been headed down here. It's interesting, though it certainly raises other questions and is not a path I'm persuaded of -- and, it is very largely influenced by the actual 911 call made from the crime scene. Personally, I don't find that call odd or suspicious, but others do -- so if you've listened to it, and have any thoughts one way or the other, I'm curious to hear them out.
Or, if after reviewing a lot of the released materials, you have your own fleshed-out theory about the commission of this crime (don't need to follow my ideas; I want to consider all options) I'm interested to hear different scenarios.

A New Assignment

First, THANK YOU to the few folks who sent along thoughts/ideas about the prior post (or ANY part of this case, for that matter) -- even if nothing very earth-shattering has emerged, I do appreciate any/all thoughts offered. Good to know some people will take the time and interest to at least try and solve this brutal crime.
Also, I understand why many feel more comfortable sending thoughts along in private email rather than leaving comments for the whole world to see, but open comments do sometimes generate further thoughts/ideas from others, and can be useful -- still, do whatever you're most comfortable with (by the way, for now, I do prefer using initials generally in the comments, if possible, rather than full names of parties being discussed).

Anyway, your new assignment, should you choose to accept it ;-) is as follows:

Another perplexing part of the official court documents released, comes on pages 95 through 98, covering March 6, 2013 to March 12, 2013:

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1283962-hedgepeth-case-files.html

This section covers the individuals who arrived at and left The Thrill nightclub who likely had contact with Faith that early morning. I am very interested to discern exactly who the main 5-6 individuals referenced are, and in what combination they arrived at, and departed, The Thrill. After many, many re-readings of this section, I think I have it sorted out, but am still not certain I've got it right. So would be curious if any others have figured it out.
The last assignment, interpreting a visual hand-written note, was easy compared to this one of carefully reading through several pages of a redacted, confusing document, so I won't be surprised to get even less response on this, but if someone enjoys playing detective have at it!!

I continue to believe that in all the social media lurking out there, remains a 'smoking gun' that can tie together a lot of the dots we already have... finding it, though, is like looking for the needle in a haystack. Still, young, savvy digitally-immersed young people may be more skilled at navigating and searching that digital world than the CHPD who probably think they have scoured it (and probably have NOT).

Law enforcement continually says this is not a cold case, yet has nothing to show recently to indicate otherwise (the released documents all go back to well-over a year ago; maybe LE has more recent info that is unreleased, but gives little indication of such). It is up to we, the public, to truly keep this case ACTIVE!

The Note...

There are, as mentioned earlier, a plethora of perplexing, sometimes cryptic, aspects to this exasperating case. Perhaps it's worth focusing some posts on different single conundrums and see if any good can come from it. At least I'll give it a try.

We'll start with the confusing bag-note left behind at the crime scene, presumably by the killer(s). Right away we're starting with an assumption, since it's possible the bag and note have nothing whatsoever to do with the murder, or has something to do with it, but was NOT written by the killer. I'll trust the prevailing view though, that it is tied directly to the killer(s): Again, it reads: "I'M NOT STUPID   BITCH   JEALOUS"

There have been all kinds of possible interpretations of what it means, how it should be read, who it may be directed towards, why it was written, etc. etc. All the way from, it was written by a woman, to it is a deliberate red-herring composed to throw investigators off-track, to it is the incoherent, rage-filled scrawl of a drunken psychopath out-of-his-mind... or, of course the angry words of a devious murderer directed at a specific person.

I'm not interested in listing all the possible interpretations already mentioned elsewhere, BUT if you have what you believe to be a NEW or little-considered interpretation for the note, please let us know… OR, if, among those many decipherings already out there, you believe there is a really STRONG case to be made for one particular meaning over all others, make that case.

ALSO, beyond the meaning of the note, much has been written about other aspects of the note as well -- the fact that it's on a fast-food bag, and in particular, the letter-formations, also the possible timing of when it was written... if you wish to dissect some aspect other than the meaning, please feel free to...
Anyone?

Slightly Less Perplexed

Finally, a little clarification perhaps to one of the many perplexing aspects of this case:

One of those perplexing bits are the phone calls back-and-forth in the early morning of the crime. Two texts from Faith's phone go to BME, who had a past relationship with KR, essentially urging him to come over because KR (who supposedly left The Thrill sick) needs him (if she felt sick, seems odd that she departs the apt. in an hour instead of staying home and simply going to bed!)
Then we have 4 short calls from KR back to BME (at least that's long been my interpretation, but perhaps it is someone else)… is she confirming that he's coming over? telling him NOT to come over?? arguing??? or what…? Then KR leaves, picked up by JM, referred to in some reports, as a current boyfriend. [One emailer to me proposed that perhaps BME indeed came over that morning, only to arrive to see KR leaving with another man, possibly sending BME into a rage? I've never seen any clear indication that BME did venture back out after seeing Faith and KR at The Thrill that morning -- and am more comfortable now discounting this scenario, given what follows below.] BME is another individual who was interrogated early on, his car and apt. searched -- what his answers were to various questions, I have no idea, but he didn't seem much pursued by law enforcement later on. However, a couple of dots have finally connected for me:

Press reports mentioned a text from BME back to Faith's phone at 4:16pm asking, "Who is this?" (following FDH's 2 texts to him) -- that made no sense to me, since Faith's texts to him were a full 12+ hours earlier, and by 4:16pm Faith's death had been long-reported. SO, I simply assumed the time was a misprint, intended to be 4:16AM, which would make more sense, and I've reported it that way ever since. NO NO! It now seems clear the reports were right, and BME texted in late afternoon (keep in mind, people don't always receive texts right when they are sent). But here's the key clarification:

In his 2-yr.-anniversary tribute note on Instagram to Faith (referenced earlier: http://instagram.com/p/sp7Jcvu49F/ ) BME writes (talking about the day of the crime, 2 yrs. earlier), "I remember right at that moment when out of nowhere a text came from you saying to be there for your best friend. I was scared then but I know that message came from an angel." -- AH HAH!, apparently BME didn't receive Faith's early morning texts until late afternoon, by which time he already knew she was dead (and 'an angel'), and then, confused by receiving those texts at that time, typed back, "Who is this?" -- that inquiry, which originally seemed cryptic, now makes sense.
[I realize there are other more nefarious interpretations one could place on the whole Instagram note, but I'll opt for the simplest explanation. Having said that, it is odd that BME refers to KR as "your friend," almost as if disowning his entire prior relationship with KR.]

Anyway, what all this implies for me is that BME did not head over to KR's apt. that morning, because he didn't even receive Faith's texts/requests in time.

One perplexing element down... 1001 more to resolve... including, of course, WHO DID head over to the Hawthorne apt.?
(for other questions I'm still pondering see the Sept. 21 post)

A "Personal" Crime???

From early on, law enforcement has contended that Faith Hedgepeth's murder was a 'personal' crime, and that the public need not feel in danger. Even though this seems likely, the longer this case goes on the more one must wonder about the assessment?  Rage and sexual assault are certainly a part of strangers, as easily as of a person one knows. Even the bag-note left behind at the crime scene looks as much like a hasty, angry, drunken scrawl as it does like a personal message. And after "100s" of DNA samples, not a single match???

So one wonders what else is there to assure the public that there is not a multiple killer at loose? Was it the quick link law enforcement made to Karena's ex-boyfriend that made police think they had a slam-dunk case that would be rapidly wrapped-up? Or is there additional undisclosed evidence that points to a 'personal' crime? 'Personal' or otherwise, anyone capable of committing such a heinous act once, is capable of doing it again, especially if fueled by alcohol or drugs, as may have been the case here.

There IS a killer at loose… in our community or elsewhere. Whether he has, or will, kill again, may be uncertain, but I doubt that his treatment of his lady friends is exactly respectful and endearing. And in all reality, the brutal slaying of Faith Hedgepeth is likely not the one sole crime of this individual's lifetime. He needs to be taken off the streets.

Autopsy?????

I'm a bit dumbfounded by the "autopsy report" for this case, which is much thinner/flimsier than I was expecting, especially for a homicide case. I've only seen 1-2 autopsy reports in my entire life (and those over 30 years ago in another state) so have little to compare to, but I was anticipating 2-3 pages of typewritten material, where instead there is barely half-a-page of what seems like hastily and incompletely-written hand-scrawled narrative, only a small amount even pertaining to the condition of, or injuries to, the victim. Striking too, that no approximate-time-of-death is included, which is pretty vital information (although law enforcement has consistently implied that it was earlier, rather than later, in the morning). Again, it just doesn't lend me a lot of confidence in the investigation of this case.

Moreover, a couple of key elements referenced in press reports (that I accepted) differ from what the autopsy actually says (and could change my prior speculative analysis). Various press reports have mentioned marks to Faith's face, arms, hands, legs, and also tissue (as well as blood) under her fingernails -- this is what I have based the belief in a major struggle on -- and a major struggle has been central to my conjectures in this case. Yet the autopsy mentions none of these injuries (nor sexual assault), making note only of the "massive head trauma" and "scalp lacerations" -- ????? -- how could injuries to the rest of her body simply be ignored? -- the mind reels a bit!… and I'll put more trust in the press reports (which may stem from direct police information) than in the details (or lack of details) of this autopsy page. The report goes so far as to state, "The apartment had lots of clutter scattered around, but no obvious signs of a struggle"[emphasis added] -- again, this is hard to take seriously (it would almost imply that either sex was consensual or major restraint was employed). But IF true (and there was little struggle, in the midst of a beating and sexual attack) than my previously-painted scenario might change considerably. For now, and assuming she wasn't quickly incapacitated early on, I presume there WAS a struggle.

[If you can't get it elsewhere, the autopsy report is available through the Medical Examiner office at 919-743-9012 (they email a copy).]

The slow drip-drip-drip (and inconsistencies) of facts/information released in this case make it hard to feel firm about any theories put forth... though I still feel that somewhere out there is a smoking gun, that can be found with enough eyes looking, in enough places.

ADDENDUM:  since writing the above over two years ago I have obtained a 'fuller' copy of the autopsy (I'm not even clear why there are different versions floating around or being given out?). What still surprises me is the lack of an estimated time-of-death given... pretty important information.
There is at least more detail given to Faith's various exact injuries; the major trauma to her head (including also a chipped tooth), as well as multiple contusions to her arms, hands, fingers, legs; all of which would seem to indicate a significant struggle. Even with the added details a lot of questions remain, and there is no update on hairs, fingernail scrapings, or other specimens taken for forensic study.
She is listed, by the way, as 5'6" tall, weighing 148 lbs., and had a small amount of alcohol (0.02%) in her system.

Conjecture…

NOTE:  the below was written BEFORE I read the autopsy report for this case, which if I took seriously, might change the scenario I outline here. I discuss the autopsy report in the next post. Because I DON'T take literally the entire autopsy report, for now I stand behind the below conjectures... but that could easily change:


I've learned that there are NO further public releases of information on the Hedgepeth case forthcoming. Apparently, all the material that the press had a legal right to ask for was made available with the early September release. This is very unfortunate, since those documents open up so many more questions, several of which law enforcement certainly have answers to. In fact, reading through those sketchy documents it's easy to come away with a sense of sloppiness and negligence on the part of investigators. Given the spottiness of the information (only reluctantly divulged), it's difficult for the public to have much confidence in this 2-year crime investigation. The police will have no one but themselves to blame for any public perception of bungling and loss of confidence. CHPD may have an excuse, given budgetary and personnel constraints; it's more disheartening that even after the SBI entered the case things have moved along so slowly (though their entry may have come too late, following too many missed opportunities). One suspects that the latest, redundant police appeal to the public for information is really more an appeal to the conscience of any guilty party or accessory out there that is listening… assuming such persons are even still in the area and have a conscience.

Anyway, all we are left to do is speculate for now… so conjecture away I will:

a couple of precautionary statements first:

1) I'm not willing to assume that all DNA samples in this case have been processed properly or accurately.

2) Nor do I fully assume that ANY of those named in the released documents are the guilty parties. It could still turn out that individuals, even transients, who encountered KR/FDH that morning at The Thrill and targeted one or both of them, are responsible and unknown -- individuals who have since long-departed this area (perhaps even committing similar crimes in other states) -- MIND YOU, I DON'T believe this scenario to be the case, but am simply unwilling to rule it out based on the limited documents released, and the purported lack of a DNA match thus far.

What I do believe…:

Early on, certain persons-of-interest were looked at closely, and despite a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing their way, the police apparently could make no solid connection. Moreover, I believe the assailant (or at least one of them) must have sustained injuries (cuts, bruises, scrapes, marks, etc.) in the course of this attack which would have been noticeable in days after the crime, and which are not reported for any of the early suspects. Therefore I believe the likeliest perp-candidates come from persons NOT interviewed early on.
So far as I can tell all persons-of-interest who encountered FDH/KR at The Thrill, were, incredibly, NOT interviewed 'til ~6 months later [actually, correction, one of those individuals would've been among those interviewed early], by which time all injuries would be healed, and alibis set -- I believe this population holds the guilty party. A reading of the released documents essentially yields five (perhaps six) names who likely encountered FDH/KR at The Thrill. In light of many other factors, two of those names seem especially interesting to me, and two others are moderately interesting. ...One problem though is that there could easily be another two dozen men who interacted with Faith/KR at The Thrill that night whose names don't even appear in the documents. For now though my focus is on a small subset of individuals from that early morning at the nightclub.
The Thrill, by the way, has long since closed down, and of course gathering any new info about that particular night, at this late date, may well be an exercise in futility... though two years ago it would've been easy (it would be interesting to know, for example, what Thrill visitors, if any, were wearing long sleeve shirts in the days following the crime during the excessive summer heat of 2012... to cover any injuries/scrapes to their arms).

Having said all this, I'll close out noting that this scenario is of course subject to change, and that police almost certainly already have evidence in their hands that either lends it credence or works strongly against it.

The Alcohol...

Brandon Edwards wrote an Instagram note on the occasion of the 2nd anniversary (a few weeks back) of Faith's death:

http://instagram.com/p/sp7Jcvu49F/

One remark he makes, in reference to their last encounter at The Thrill on the morning of the crime is, "I remember you not drinking because you had a quiz the next day."

Elsewhere it's been noted that it was unusual for alcohol bottles, usually found in the kitchen, to be found in the bedroom of KR's apt. I presume, if Faith did not want to drink at The Thrill because of a quiz the next day (and technically it was illegal for The Thrill to serve her, as she was under-age), then she did not intend to drink still later in the morning at the apt. Thus, I surmise the perp(s) brought the alcohol (found at the crime scene; wine and rum) into the bedroom where she was forced, or felt great pressure, to drink (the autopsy indicating she had some alcohol in her system). Did it start off as a social occasion before spiraling into something completely different, or was it from the outset a purely criminal encounter? And did the perp(s) intend to find KR at the apt. as well, or did they know she had departed, and Faith was alone? (one theory which I don't subscribe to, but also can't entirely discount, is that KR was the original intended target).

Today

Today, Sept. 26, is Faith's birthday... no better moment than now to commit to bringing justice to her untimely death.

Justice For Faith

This is a serious effort to use a cyber collaborative approach to connect the dots that, so far, law enforcement has been unable to do.
Commenters are encouraged to post any thoughts/links they wish to share that may prove helpful [or send to me at: delphi4c@gmail.com ] And pass the word of this site on to other interested parties.

Meanwhile, below, in no particular order, are some of the key questions I have that have likely already been answered by law enforcement:

1.  Why did KR leave the apt. around 4:30am, and what did she say in her morning calls to BME?

2.  Which fast-food place did the note-bag left at crime scene come from?

3.  What was Faith's approximate time-of-death?

4.  Have any fingerprints found at the crime scene been matched to any persons-of-interest?

5.  Were the individual apts. below and next to Faith's occupied at the time of her assault?

6.  Was handwriting analysis and comparison done on the note-bag left at crime scene, and were handwriting samples gathered from major persons-of-interest?

7.  If it is true (as reported from one source) that the apt. door was left unlocked when KR left, did the perpetrator(s) simply walk through an unlocked door (and was Faith asleep?) or did in fact Faith let someone in?

8.  Faith worked at a "Red Robin" restaurant near her apt. Did any employee or diner of that workplace ever come under suspicion?

9.  Who did DB, BME, and others drive home with when leaving The Thrill?

          10. Are there any remaining persons of interest who have NOT given DNA samples?    
           Also, have all personal DNA samples taken been buccal swabs?  

          11.  Who is ETJ's cousin that lives in same complex or was at The Thrill on night-in-question?

12.  Am curious if the DNA on-file from the crime scene is routinely RE-run through a national database every 6-12 months?

If anyone can send along fairly definite answers to any of the above please feel free to.
I have many other questions about various details, but will leave those aside for now.

What pressing questions do YOU still have?
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction (long introductory material about the crime):

------------------------------------------------------------

To familiarize yourself and keep up with the case you can check out these Webpages pertaining to the investigation (or send me other suggestions):

[...unfortunately, I've not found time to update or correct any info below so not all links may work, and some info may be outdated or off]

1) Journalist/private investigator Tom Gasparoli has a blog devoted to the case here (I recommend reading all his entries, as he has bits of information not available elsewhere):

http://www.gaspowrites.com

Another summary of case here:

https://truenoirstories.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/faith-hedgepeth/

2) a thread at WebSleuths.com is devoted to the Faith Hedgepeth homicide here:

http://tinyurl.com/nren6l8

3) official documents finally released by law enforcement (being forced by court order after an unnecessary two-year delay) are viewable here:

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1283962-hedgepeth-case-files.html

4) The note (on a fast-food bag) presumably left by the killer:

http://chapelboro.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Note-image.jpg

(it reads, "I'm not stupid Bitch Jealous")

5) A Reddit thread with speculation:

http://tinyurl.com/lfll3va

6) Some older local coverage of the crime is here:

http://chapelboro.com/uncategorized/latest-faith-hedgepeth-murder-investigation-details/ 

And this Google search will take you to more press stories:

https://encrypted.google.com/#q=%22faith+hedgepeth%22+timeline&tbs=qdr:y

7) Faith's old Facebook page remains up:

https://www.facebook.com/faith.hedgepeth as does that of her roommate at the time, Karena Rosario:

https://www.facebook.com/karena.rosario?fref=ts

(several other Facebook pages are potentially pertinent, but I won't put those up at this time)

Faith's Twitter acct. also available:

https://twitter.com/IAmNoPocahontas

and her Instagram acct. here:

http://instagram.com/ole_faithful

Finally, please note this video tribute to Faith:

http://vimeo.com/65861552

For now, I'll be using initials for most of the individuals mentioned below and in posts, including for Faith, who is FDH, and her roommate, Karena Rosario, KR.

Below is a rough timeline, as best I understand it, of some significant events, that I'll be modifying as needed, as more information becomes available. If anyone knows of corrections, additions, or changes needed please let me know. [email: delphi4c@gmail.com ]

Or, if you can answer any of the questions I ask in the Sept. 21 post please let me know.

Timeline:

4/27/12 -- one-time KR-boyfriend ETJ arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia

7/5/12 -- ETJ breaks into bedroom of KR apt. and threatens KR physically.

7/10/12 -- ETJ breaks into KR apt. again

7/11/12 -- ETJ (who lived in apt. 904 of Hawthorne at the View) given a restraining order from visiting KR's apt. (#1502 at same complex).

August -- FDH moves in with KR to share a 1-bedroom apt. (they have been friends for quite sometime) until FDH has school financial aid restored.

(according to one report ETJ resents FDH's presence as a hindrance to his continuing interest in KR)

9/5/12 -- BME spends night on couch at KR/FDH apt. (leaving residence ~11am, but will see them again at The Thrill that night)

9/6/12 -- ETJ purportedly texts and posts a message, asking "to forgive him for what he was about to do"

9/6/12 ~7:30 FDH & KR go to Davis Library on UNC campus to study; returning to Hawthorne apt. before midnight.

~ 1 am. FDH & KR go to The Thrill nightclub in Chapel Hill; seeing several men there (including BME and DB, and I believe a QB and BW, and likely others)

FDH & KR leave Thrill in FDH's car ~2:30am (KR is purportedly feeling sick at the time), returning home by 3:00 am. (FDH is last seen talking to DB before leaving Thrill).

early morning phone calls:

FDH's phone (presumably FDH herself) was used to text BME at 3:41am and again at 3:43am. The first message read:

"Hey b. Can you come over here please. Karena needs you more aha. You know. Please let her know you care."

followed up shortly thereafter with a second simple text: "Than"

I believe the 2nd call was merely delivering a correction to the first wrongly auto-corrected call, which was intended to read:

"Hey b. Can you come over here please. Karena needs you more than you know. Please let her know you care."

Later BME would message back at 4:16am 4:16PM, NOT AM as I previously stated., "Who is this?," as by then he already had the news of Faith's death (apparently having only received her texts later in the day?).

Meanwhile, 4 brief phone calls (not texts) went from KR's phone to BME at 3:44, 3:52, 3:55, and 4:14 (all less than 40 seconds) -- note, BME is texting back to FDH's phone just two mins. after the call from KR at 4:14. Then, just 15 mins. after that final call to BME, KR is picked up by JM to go to a house in Chapel Hill to stay much of the remainder of morning (according to at least one account she left the apt. door UNLOCKED upon leaving, and FDH may have been sleeping on the bed at that point). The phone of one of the residents of that Chapel Hill house, JB, is later shown to have been in a nearby area around that very time, though no indication what number it made a call to.

Only one individual (so far as I'm aware) heard anything out-of-ordinary from the KR/FDH apt. the rest of morning, and I'm not clear at what time or how loud or 'out-of-the ordinary' that was (despite FDH suffering a major prolonged beating/assault resulting in her death), but close to 11am KR returns to apt. with a friend MR, and discovers her murdered roommate. You can read an unofficial transcript of the call she made to 911 here (or you can contact Chapel Hill Police Dept. public information office to get the audio -- and several who have heard the actual audio believe it is quite odd, even casting suspicion on KR):

http://www.gaspowrites.com/2014/07/the-911-call-transcript-is-here.html

The gruesome death scene is described in documents...

Blood was splattered at the crime scene, both around the victim and bed, and on the wall and a closet door. Her body was on the floor but leaning against the bed (one thing that is not clear to me is whether or not KR had moved the body at all while following instructions from the 911 dispatcher), and was naked from the waist down with her shirt pulled up over her head. The victim had been beaten extensively, with blunt force trauma to the head being the cause of death according to the autopsy. Semen collected at the scene is believed to belong to the perpetrator. Police documents give several more details about the scene, but also leave several details out. 

9/9/12 -- ETJ changes cover photo of his Facebook page, with statement, "Dear Lord, Forgive me for all of my sins and the sins I may commit today. Protect me from the girls who don't deserve me and the ones who wish me dead today."

9/11/12 -- ETJ's Jeep searched (his apt. as well, though I'm not sure of date) (Despite tremendous focus on, and circumstantial evidence against, ETJ early on, I've heard of no actual physical evidence connecting him to the crime scene; indeed early concentration on him may have simply permitted time for other suspects to clean up their possessions and themselves and coordinate their stories). I've never heard of scratches, bruises, marks, etc. (as might be expected on the perp) being recorded by police on the bodies of any early suspect.

9/12/12 -- BME's Honda vehicle is processed/searched (also his apt.)

December 2012 -- RLJ of Greensboro, who exchanged texts with FDH in days preceding the murder is interviewed by law enforcement. I've seen no indication of whether RLJ was at The Thrill on the night in question?

March 2013 -- DB, last person seen with FDH, when she left The Thrill nightclub, is interviewed by law enforcement (his answers don't totally match answers given by others). I believe a BW and QDB (both also from Thrill) are interviewed as well in March. Also, JB resident at Chapel Hill house where KR spent the morning after leaving apt., is questioned by police. JB had some history of threats and possible other problems in his former home of Ohio. He claims to have been at home all night despite phone records showing his cell phone in the crime scene area ~4:15am.

September 2014 -- after an egregious 2-year delay, various warrants/court documents are finally released to the public/press, having been sealed repeatedly during the active investigation, while law enforcement continues to beg the public for assistance. 

The police believe whoever left DNA at the scene (semen) and wrote the bag-note is the killer… despite that likelihood, there ARE other scenarios possible, based on the limited information released (law enforcement has a LOT more information than the details thus far made public -- including extensive interviews with key persons giving answers the public has yet to see; and a lot of physical evidence as well remains undisclosed).

Although I believe I understand some of whom HAVE and HAVE NOT given DNA samples to law enforcement (and LE has found no DNA matches to crime scene thus far), I'm not going to say, since there is some ambiguity involved, and I could be mistaken -- and this is VERY IMPORTANT info (so I won't risk spreading erroneous info on it for now)... but will say that I believe at least two individuals have not, at this writing, given DNA samples… most others have, sometimes being compelled to by court order.

But moreover, I'm NOT confident that the DNA samples have, in all instances, been processed properly or accurately.

I've tried to summarize key events above, but for anyone seriously interested in this case, there is no substitute for pouring over the actual released (and redacted) official documents at: http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1283962-hedgepeth-case-files.html

[It is still possible that NONE of the individuals mentioned in those documents, or here, are the guilty parties, and that the scenario as painted by law enforcement may be very misleading.]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you have insights/thoughts/ideas that you think may have bearing on this case feel free to write in a comments section here, or email me at: delphi4c@gmail.com anonymously, or otherwise. I do have my own current hypothesis of how this senseless crime transpired, but it is little more than conjecture at this point. Again though, two years is looong enough for this case to have dragged on! For Faith's friends and family let's bring about some closure. The perps should know that the longer this case goes unsolved, the MORE interested (not less), and the MORE persistent, and the MORE relentless some of us will become. In the long-ago words of John Donne, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee."

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THEORIES....

People have of course proposed several theories about this crime:

1) The most common hypothesis I see is that KR's ex-bf, ETJ, is the guilty party. A great deal of incriminating evidence certainly surrounds him, and he also had opportunity, motive, and emotion for the crime (I won't spell all that out right now, but those familiar with the case know what it involves). Yet, ETJ was closely looked at early in the case; he was searched/interviewed, his apt. and vehicle searched, and I believe (but haven't verified) that his DNA was run… and, so far as I can tell, law enforcement came up empty… and moved on. In fact, it almost appears that they spent so much time on ETJ early on that they may have missed evidence pointing in other directions 'til too late.

If it should eventually turn out that ETJ is the perp, one has to wonder what took law enforcement so long???

2) Multiple people have cast suspicion on the roommate, KR, as somehow being involved with the crime, due to 3 factors:

a. Her direct connections to several of the persons-of-interest.

b. Her abrupt departure from the apt. at 4:30am, quite possibly shortly before the crime occurred.

c. What some see as odd responses/language during her 911 call, later in the morning, upon finding Faith's body.

I'm not personally a proponent of the roommate-involvement theory, but I understand why others find her suspect (and I don't have answers to questions about her).

[Yet another theory posits that perhaps KR was the actual intended victim, and Faith just a victim of circumstance when the perp found KR absent -- again, I don't put much weight on it, but unwilling to completely discount it.]

3) My own view leans toward there being 2 perpetrators (and perhaps even 3) all coming from the crowd that were at The Thrill on the same night with FDH and her roommate (I have specific reasons and names in mind, but won't pinpoint that for now). I will go out on a further speculative limb though, and say that if it was a single individual, than I'm guessing they were right-handed, at least 6' tall, and at least 220 lbs.

4) I've seen at least one person argue for the probability of this being a "stranger" crime, not committed by any of the persons-of-interest, but by someone who simply followed Faith home that night. This seems wholly unlikely for a slew of reasons, BUT it would help explain possibly the biggest mystery in this case: why, in two years, no DNA or fingerprint match has been made between the crime scene and a person-of-interest.

5) Perhaps I should add that Faith worked part-time at a nearby Red Robin restaurant, and did have ex-boyfriends, but so far as I'm aware, no workmates, customers, boyfriends, classmates, etc. have come under serious suspicion (if someone knows otherwise, it would be interesting to hear).

Any other significant theories out there distinct from the above???

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