Faith Hedgepeth

**Faith Hedgepeth** (September 26, 1992 – September 7, 2012) was an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina who was murdered in her apartment at Chapel Hill in 2012. The murder is currently unsolved.

## Events

### Life

Faith Danielle Hedgepeth was born on September 26, 1992 in Warrenton, North Carolina. She belonged to the Haliwa-Saponi tribe. The chief of the Haliwa-Saponi told media, "Faith was very much involved in our tribal culture."

Her aunt described Faith as "intelligent. She had everything going for her. She knew what she wanted in life, and she was going for it." A family friend said Faith had plans to become a doctor and was a biology major at the University of North Carolina.

### 911 call

An emergency call was made to 911 at 11:01 a.m on September 7, 2012 and lasted 7 minutes and 51 seconds. The following transcript may not be entirely accurate.

**Dispatcher:** Durham 911, where is your emergency?

**Caller:** Hi. Um I just walked into my apartment and my friend is just like (unintelligible) semi-unconscious.

**Dispatcher:** Okay, what's your address, ma'am?

**Caller:** I live at Hawthorne at the View. Um.

**Dispatcher:** Give me the address?

**Caller:** I just- I just moved here. I'm about to get it. (Pause) Oh my God. It’s um 5-6-3-9 Old Chapel Hill Road in Durham.

**Dispatcher:** Okay, repeat it- repeat it to me. I want to make sure I got it correct.

**Caller:** Okay. 5-6-3-9 Old Chapel Hill Road, it's apartment 1602.

**Dispatcher:** 1602?

**Caller:** Yes.

**Dispatcher:** What's the phone number you're calling from?

**Caller:** (Phone number)

**Dispatcher:** Okay, you say your friend is unconscious?

**Caller:** She's unconscious. I just walked into the apartment and there looks like there is blood everywhere (unintelligible).

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Listen to me. Listen to me. Somebody is already sending the ambulance. Okay? I need to get some information from you. And I'm going to help- I'm going to tell you how to help her, okay?

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. How old is your- How old is she?

**Caller:** She's 19.

**Dispatcher:** Okay.

**Caller:** I don't know- I don't want to touch her but-

**Dispatcher:** Listen to me. Is she breathing?

**Caller:** I don't know.

**Dispatcher:** You need to check and see. Is she breathing?

**Caller:** (Pause) She- I don't think so. I don't think so.

**Dispatcher:** Okay, listen to me.

**Caller:** There is blood everywhere.

**Dispatcher:** There's what?

**Caller:** There is blood everywhere.

**Dispatcher:** Okay.

**Caller:** I don't know what happened.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Is she on her back or on her- laying on her stomach?

**Caller:** She's on- She's on her back, but like she- I think she fell off the bed because she's, like, off the bed. There's blood all over the pillows, like, in the comforter. I just don't know what happened.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Alright. Listen to me, alright?

**Caller:** Is someone coming? Please hurry.

**Dispatcher:** Yes, I've got somebody coming. I've got somebody coming. I need for you to help her. I need for you to go up to her. We need to see if she's breathing or not. Okay?

**Caller:** I don't think so.

**Dispatcher:** Okay.

**Caller:** (Unintelligible)

**Dispatcher:** Listen to me. Go up- The paramedics are on their way. I want you to stay on the line. I'm gonna tell you what to do next. Alright? Are you right by her now?

**Caller:** Yes.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Listen carefully.

**Caller:** She's not moving.

**Dispatcher:** She's not moving? Okay.

**Caller:** No.

**Dispatcher:** Okay, touch her arm and tell me how does she feel?

**Caller:** She's not moving.

**Dispatcher:** Okay, ma'am we need to find out if we can help her or not. You've go to do as I'm asking so we can help her. Alright?

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. If you can lay her flat on her back- Remove any pillows.

**Caller:** Lay her flat on her back?

**Dispatcher:** Flat on her back. Remove any pillows.

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Kneel next to her, look in her mouth for food or vomit.

**Caller:** There is blood everywhere.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Kneel next to her and look in her mouth for food or vomit.

**Caller:** There's blood everywhere. I'm sorry (unintelligible).

**Dispatcher:** It's okay. Listen to me. What is your name?

**Caller:** Karena. I'm sorry, I'm really trying.

**Dispatcher:** It's okay.

**Caller:** There's blood everywhere. I don't know (where it came from?).

**Dispatcher:** Alright. Okay, listen to me. When you touched her how did she feel?

**Caller:** What?

**Dispatcher:** Does she feel warm?

**Caller:** No, she feels cold.

**Dispatcher:** She feels cold?

**Caller:** Yes.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Alright. Don't touch anything else, okay?

**Caller:** (Unintelligible) this is crazy.

**Dispatcher:** Don't touch anything else, okay?

**Caller:** Please hurry.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. They're on their way. I've got the police on the way to you and I've got a medic on the way.

**Caller:** (Unintelligible) I can't believe this.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. What room is she in?

**Caller:** She's in my bedroom.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. I want you to go back into the living room. Okay?

**Caller:** I don't know what's going on. Like, there's stuff in my room that, like, was not here before.

**Dispatcher:** Okay.

**Caller:** (It's looks like someone came in here?)

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Okay.

**Caller:** It really does.

**Dispatcher:** Alright. What did you say your name was again?

**Caller:** It looks like someone came in here... because- I don't understand.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Listen to me. Don't touch anything else in the room.

**Caller:** I'm not touching.

**Dispatcher:** I want you to leave that room and go into the living room.

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** Make sure- Make sure the door is unlocked so somebody can get in. So the medic and police can get in when they get there. Okay?

**Caller:** It's unlocked. When are they getting here though?

**Dispatcher:** They're on their way, honey. They're coming as fast as they can. You just stay on the phone with me, alright? Okay, tell me again what your name is?

**Caller:** It looks like someone has been in there. It did not look like this at all.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. I have let them know. We've got everyone on their way to help you. Now tell me again what your name is?

**Caller:** What?

**Dispatcher:** What is your name?

**Caller:** Karena Rosario.

**Dispatcher:** Karena?

**Caller:** Yes.

**Dispatcher:** Okay, Karena. You just sit down on the couch and don't touch anything. Okay, you just sit down.

**Caller:** I'm not touching anything.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Okay. I just want you to sit down because the police and the medics are going to be there. They're coming just as fast as they can. Alright?

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** You just stay on the phone with me.

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** Stay on the phone with me.

**Caller:** Are you sure they're coming?

**Dispatcher:** Yes, ma'am. They are on their way.

**Caller:** I just can't believe this. (I know?) someone has had to [have] been in there.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. We've got- we've got first responders on the way. The fire trucks is coming. There's a medic coming and the Sheriff's Department is on the way to you.

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** You just stay on the phone with me until somebody gets there with you. Alright?

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** Okay, Karena. How old are you, Karena?

**Caller:** I'm 20.

**Dispatcher:** You're 20? Okay, hun. You're doing alright. You're doing alright. Just stay on the phone with me.

**Caller:** I see the police.

**Dispatcher:** You see the police?

**Caller:** Yes.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. You let me know when they get in there with you and then you can talk to them, alright?

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** I just don't want you to be in there alone right now.

**Caller:** Okay.

**Dispatcher:** Okay. Just stay on the phone with me.

**Caller:** Okay.

(**Other voice on caller's side)**

**Dispatcher:** Are they in there with you? Are they coming in?

**Caller:** Yes. Thank you.

**Dispatcher:** Alright, okay, hun. Bye-bye.

**Caller:** Bye-bye.

Call ends.

## Death

On September 7, 2012, Faith Hedgepeth, 19, was found deceased by her friend Karena Rosario in her apartment at 5639 Old Chapel Hill Road in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where she attended university. Police initially wouldn't tell media how Faith had died beyond it being homicide but they did tell media that they believed the crime wasn't random.

The University of North Carolina sent an alert to students, faculty and staff: "Law enforcement officials do not believe that there is danger to other students."

The Chapel Hill Police Department established a tip-line (919-614-6363) for anyone with information related to the investigation. They also allowed people anonymity if they wished.

*To be continued.*

### Aftermath

Faith is buried at Mount Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Warrenton, North Carolina. Her grave's epitaph reads "Into your hands Lord, I commit my spirit. A Loving Daughter, Sister and Aunt".

## News

*For news articles on Faith Hedgepeth, see here.*

## External links

* Faith Danielle Hedgepeth (1992-2012) • Find A Grave
* Faith Hedgepeth homicide • Wikipedia
* Hedgepeth family tree • Ancestry (paywall)
* Justice for Faith • Justice for Faith

## In popular media

### Podcasts

* Jensen and Holes: The Murder Squad: Who Killed Faith Hedgepeth? (1 Jul 2019)
* Pursuit podcast (28 Aug 2019)

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Faith Danielle Hedgepeth (1992-2012) • Find A Grave
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 7 Sep 2012: UNC-Chapel Hill student's death shocks community • WRAL
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Unofficial Transcript of Durham 911 Call For Services on Friday, September 7, 2012 • Justice for Faith