The Murder of Faith Hedgepeth
Episode 023
Faith Hedgepeth was found murdered in her apartment in September of 2012
Nineteen year old Faith Hedgepeth was a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in September of 2012. Born in Warren County North Carolina, she was a member of the Haliwa-Saponi Native American Tribe and dreamed of becoming a doctor and one day returning home to contribute to her community. On September 6th, she had a busy day of classes followed by rushing for a sorority and going to the library with her best friend and roommate, Karena Rosario. After working on a project, she and Rosario went back to their apartment to change and then went out to a local bar, called the Thrill.
In the early morning hours of September 7th, Faith and Rosario left the bar and went back to their apartment. A strange series of texts and phone calls began, and around 4am, Karena left in the company of another Chapel Hill student, leaving Faith home, allegedly asleep, with the apartment door unlocked. When Karena returned the next morning, she found a grisly scene. Faith had been brutally beaten to death, the room was covered in blood and her half-clothed body was left exposed. Rosario called 911 and when police arrived, they immediately began investigating the homicide, discovering that Faith had also been sexually assaulted.
Over the next five years, many suspects were questioned and had their DNA taken for comparison. Rosario faded from the public eye, refusing to talk or conduct any interviews about the case, leading many to believe she may have more knowledge about the crime than she has stated. In addition to Rosario, her former roommate and ex-boyfriend Eriq Takoy Jones became a prime suspect considering his violent past and threats he had previously made against Faith. No one was above suspicion, and anyone who had spoken with Faith in the days and hours before her murder were considered possibilities. Surveillance cameras from the Thrill showed her interacting with several men that night, all of whom were questioned by investigators. Ultimately, the Chapel Hill Police Department possessed an abundance of evidence but no one they could make it stick to. Recently, a strange accidental voicemail left by Faith the night of her murder and a DNA Phenotype digital composite of the killer have been released, raising more questions than answers.
Who murdered Faith Hedgepeth, and for what reason was this beautiful and brilliant young woman so violently murdered? Was it a total stranger out looking for trouble? Did an ex-boyfriend choose this night to take out his anger? Did Eriq Takoy Jones make good on his threat, or did her best friend and roommate, Karena Rosario, play a more vital role in the crime? Join host Steven Pacheco as he explores the details of this case and attempts to sort through the plethora of suspects in an attempt to answer the haunting question: Who murdered Faith Hedgepeth?
Listen to 023 - The Murder of Faith Hedgepeth
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_Hedgepeth_homicide
https://abc11.com/news/new-leads-pour-in-on-hedgepeth-murder-after-tv-special/1529023/
https://abc11.com/news/autopsy-shows-brutality-of-hedgepeth-murder/296058/
https://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article171703497.html
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/chapel-hill-news/article104310946.html
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/chapel-hill-news/article60733021.html
https://truecrimedaily.com/2016/02/16/crime-watch-daily-investigates-the-murder-of-faith-hedgepeth/