NC NC - Faith Hedgepeth, 19, UNC student, Chapel Hill, 7 Sep 2012 #2

[Curious_in_NC]

it is listed.
View attachment 268207

Thanks. That explains it. I didn't use the hyphenated name when I looked. So LE must have had access to his DNA samples.

 

[Simplestarz86]

It would be hard to believe he wasn't considered a suspect given this story was originally published in print on the same page as, and right under, a front page story about a vigil for Faith Hedgepeth. https://dcr.lib.unc.edu/indexablecontent/uuid:e90c87a1-9c9c-4e7d-b85a-b92f847100c9

Also, I don't see why bus access is relevant unless there is information somewhere showing he couldn't drive or had no access to a car. The two locations would only be about 10 minutes drive apart from each other in early morning traffic.

Thanks. That explains it. I didn't use the hyphenated name when I looked.

as for the buses. My thought was if he did travel on them, there is a stop directly across from Faith’s apartment and then one just a small walk from where he lived. Just a thought I had. All in my opinion.

 

[Webthrush]

FWIW, I see Tom Gasparoli reported on this separate rape case in one of his pieces some years back:

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/dn-opinion/article32737860.html

 

[Simplestarz86]

FWIW, I see Tom Gasparoli reported on this separate rape case in one of his pieces some years back:

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/dn-opinion/article32737860.html

I noticed that too! Makes me wonder why he didn’t circle back to it in his blog. Especially after the Parabon sketch. JMO.

 

[bugman]

Hi,
Very new to this case. Listen to one 60 min podcast, read case file and this forum.

The link between the two cases that happened on the same night seems more than a coincidence but you have to believe LE ruled that out. Great find though.

I believe the DNA is of the killer but I believe this is very personal. I believe the note was written after the killer cleaned up and after he waited for KR before giving up and leaving. I believe it is meant for KR and FH was just in the wrong place at the wrong
time. This is someone close but outside the circle of obvious suspects. Someone KR rejected or strung along. Maybe a loner, student or co-worker that you would never think capable therefore never comes to mind as a suspicious to KR. Who knows, this pain could have been building up for some time before he acted. KR holds the clues but I don’t believe she has anything to do with it or is consciously holding back. Just my two cents from a pair of eyes not so deeply immersed in all the history and reporting.

 

[cds0902]

This is a potential theory I agree with for sure.

Just my opinion but, the way this crime was committed it was obviously a very jealous and resentful individual, deep hatred out of control. For me this rings female against female all the way!!!

Hi everyone, I am new here but the Faith Hedgepeth case has been one of my pet cases for years now.

I think that Karena knows what happened and who killed Faith, I am unsure if she was involved or not, but I do find her very suspicious.

What I am slightly hung up on, is the fact that Faith was found in Karena's bed. When Karena mentioned that she had left Faith alone in the apartment and asleep, she never said: Oh, I left her asleep in my bed/my room. So, either she did not leave Faith asleep in her room, or it was such a common occurrence that she didn't see the need to mention it (which I find not very likely).
Why was Faith sleeping in Karena's bed, if she has a perfectly good bed and room of her own to use?

Faith did not have a bedroom, the apartment had only one bedroom!

 

[ISarahlouise]

Just my opinion but, the way this crime was committed it was obviously a very jealous and resentful individual, deep hatred out of control. For me this rings female against female all the way!!!

Faith did not have a bedroom, the apartment had only one bedroom!

I do think there was a woman involved in this case cause as a woman? Yeah jealousy when love is involved, recipe for disaster.

However, let's not pretend like men aren't the same.
Not to get off topic but I was watching the Night stalker doco and it seemed that Ramirez would typically shoot the men whilst bashing/stabbing women. Men have shown countless time to inflict extreme violence onto women

I think there's more than one person involved likely coming from both a woman and man, but all I think the violence indicates is that it's an extremely personal and passionate crime.

Again, I apologise for going off topic

 

[Beachlife926]

IMO
Within seconds of hearing the 911 call, I had suspicions of the “friend”. I didn’t hear her express any emotions while the phone was ringing, only once the operator to picked up and then it almost seemed forced.
I know everyone reacts differently but I think I’d be yelling my friends name, crying, screaming or something

I just heard about the case for the first time and didn’t read the threads yet, so sorry if it’s already been mentioned. This part stuck with me and almost made me bias against her for the rest of the podcast

Edited to remove double paragraph

 

[raiders444]

Beachlife....when you have time, read through the threads. It's a very frustrating case with no clear suspect

 

[Blknyellw]

Every so often I find myself back at this thread to check for updates and still nothing. This case makes me so sad, I can’t wait for the day we hear some good news from NC police dept.

 

[Blknyellw]

Me again - what is ya’ll opinion on why the police department won’t release all info on the case. Is it a normal thing to keep this info concealed or is it all normally released when a case goes cold? Just trying to figure out the reason for them not releasing everything. TIA

 

[Tabirey]

Me again - what is ya’ll opinion on why the police department won’t release all info on the case. Is it a normal thing to keep this info concealed or is it all normally released when a case goes cold? Just trying to figure out the reason for them not releasing everything. TIA

I'm of the opinion that they actually have a good idea of what actually happened and by who, but don't have enough to prosecute yet. At least, that's my hope.

 

[Blknyellw]

Curious how many of us believe the voicemail is actually Rosario and Erik? I keep listening but I can’t make up my mind, sometimes I think I hear what Arlo West claims but other times I do hear music...

 

[louvillian08]

I'm of the opinion that they actually have a good idea of what actually happened and by who, but don't have enough to prosecute yet. At least, that's my hope.

That's the only explanation that makes sense to me. But after 8 years, does it still make sense? Maybe they are inching closer and the public doesn't see it. Personally, I think making everything public can't possibly have more more cons than pros after 8 years of nothing.

 

[Blknyellw]

That's the only explanation that makes sense to me. But after 8 years, does it still make sense? Maybe they are inching closer and the public doesn't see it. Personally, I think making everything public can't possibly have more more cons than pros after 8 years of nothing.

If I’m being honest, I just don’t see it. (I could be completely wrong) but if they essentially know who the killer is (the DNA match & phenotype) I think they are just waiting until one day this man is arrested for something else, brought into the system and needs to provide a DNA sample. I think until then we won’t know if the LE even have a case against KR and her involvement too.

 

[Capstan]

Question:

How long did KR live in the apartment? On the 911 call she states she just moved in and didn’t know the address.

Although there has been speculation the intended target was KR and FH happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Consider the possibility if KR had recently moved in perhaps the intended target was the previous tenant. This scenario has happened many times in other cases.

Thoughts:

Until solved no one can be ruled out as a person of interest.

However, I am surprised how many people believe KR is the murder. Some of the “evidence” people cite to implicate her is really, really a stretch.

—leaving the club bc she didn’t feel well and then went out w a hookup later / This is totally normal for college kids and there are so many innocuous reasons she might have wanted to leave. Frankly, for all we know KR needed to poop. Not trying to be funny or gross. When I was in college I can’t even begin to count the number of times a girlfriend would want to leave a club or party or whatever for this reason—and was miraculously cured after getting back to her or my place. Maybe it was hot in the club and that made her feel unwell. Maybe she was simply bored. Maybe hungry and a little dizzy from not eating. I just don’t see anything at all sinister about her saying she didn’t feel good and then later going out.

—leaving the door unlocked. Unfortunate it happened but it may not even have changed the outcome if she locked it. The perp may have been known to FH and she may have let him inside anyways. We don’t know one way or the other. The conjecture KR was an accomplice for leaving it unlocked just doesn’t make sense in the absence of any hard evidence. The restraining order argument is weak. Although a good argument for responsible adults the same isn’t true of college kids. They are not responsible adults. The average person has an attention span according to a recent study less than a goldfish. About 7 seconds. It had been a couple months since she got the restraining order so it’s easy to think a college kid wouldn’t be thinking that especially after a night of drinking. Plus her issue was with her ex-bf and her. To you and me we would lock the door but she might not even seen it as a risk from her ex since she wasn’t in the apartment and FH was there so the place was occupied. There was only one key and FH had the key. College kids don’t think and behave like adults, especially ones recently on their own. Honestly, I don’t always lock my house and car doors even as an adult. I think people are reading way too much into the door being left unlocked.

—not being a media wh*re. Today many people want to be in the spotlight like it’s an addiction. This was a horrible crime. The fact she hasn’t been front and center in the media means nothing. Plenty of criminals have been front and center in the limelight only to be found guilty later. It goes both ways. I totally understand why KR wouldn’t want to do interviews. Especially with the way the internet will pick apart every word. To be implicated as guilty because she has been quiet over the years is beyond unfair.

—time of death. Strange their hasn’t been an estimation of her TOD. I’ve read some detailed theories she was killed before KR left the apartment. This seems like pure fiction but I suppose it can’t be ruled out completely. Even in cases where a woman has killed her friend the whole DNA and semen issue is huge for many many reasons. Just doesn’t seem like a college kid would go to that much premeditation and planning. Sure it’s possible to find a used condom at a club and use the semen as a plant. That’s some pretty heavy duty premeditation and a very high level of thinking for a crime that seems to be pure passion and rage. Possible but not at all probable.

—LE’s processing of crime scene. Wonder if LE ever checked the bathroom drains and drain traps. This whole note on the paper bag but there being no blood is a conundrum. Possible written prior to the crime. Speculated to be written after. So the perp is covered in blood—would have to be doesn’t seem possible they wouldn’t be—yet the pen and paper bag are free of blood. So the speculation is the perp cleaned up before writing it. Was there any evidence of cleaning up? If hands were washed there would be evidence in the sink drains and traps and one would think evidence of blood in the bathroom or kitchen area from washing up. Why bother washing up to write a note? I mean, there’s dna and semen all over the place and I would think finger prints too. Really doesn’t make sense. I know a lot of people were in and out of the apartment but I have never read anything about any prints.

—the murder weapon. How can you beat someone hard enough to kill them and yet not break a glass bottle? I would like to see some tests done on an empty bottle hitting human flesh and bone, how much force is generated and if it’s even possible an empty bottle exactly like the one claimed to be the murder weapon wouldn’t break. Seems like it would break. I don’t know the answers. There has to be a scientific way to measure the forces generated on the bottle and on a person and see if it’s possible. I’d like to know. I think it could be important. Was the bottle really the murder weapon or the only weapon?

—the tampon. It’s always assumed the tampon was FHs. Was it tested to see if the blood matched hers? Was she having her period when the crime happened? Pulling out someone’s tampon to commit a sexual assault but then not going through with vaginal rape seems odd. I’m not even sure what to make of that. Then the perp washes up and pens a note. So many contradictions in this case. Don’t even know if the tampon matters but extremely odd to me. The thought process of someone who commits such a heinous crime is obviously not normal and sane. Really though, there is all this rage and adrenaline, the perp has either beat her unconscious or killed her, he’s turned on evidenced by the semen he left and he rips down her pants to rape her and notices a tampon and removes it yet according to the autopsy there wasn’t vaginal trauma so he either didn’t go through with the penetration part of the rape or he raped her extremely gently. Very very confusing.

—noise. How is it possible no one heard FH screaming? Going back to the bottle it doesn’t seem like you could hit someone hard enough one time to knock them out and not break the bottle. So if FH wasn’t knocked out in the first blow why wasn’t their screaming? -or- maybe you can knock someone out w one wack from an empty bottle with the first hit snd not break the bottle. I’d really like someone smarter than I to do some tests with the bottle and forces required and yet not break the bottle.

sorry for rambling.......

 

[Capstan]

FH was found mostly in bed and somewhat hanging off the bed. Does anyone know if the bed was where the beating started? Did it start in another location in the apartment and she end up on the bed during a struggle and met her demise there or did the entire murder take place while she was in the bed? Again, why wasn’t she screaming for her life?? Goes back to the bottle. Can you wack a person hard enough with one or two quick blows to render them unconscious and not break an empty glass bottle? If yes, then that’s why there was no screaming and a lack or mostly a lack of defensive wounds. If no, then why wasn’t there more noise? Haven’t heard much about defensive wounds. The autopsy seems to show some hand trauma but does anyone know if it’s attributed to defensive wounds? Did police photograph possible suspects to see if they had injuries? If FH was quickly subdued and unable to fight and scream for her life her injuries indicate overkill. If she was fighting and the perp had to continue beating her to kill her because she wasn’t quickly subdued why no screaming. I would think she would have awoken half the apartment community.

—the VM / seems like a red herring. I have no idea the true qualifications of the hired voice analysis guy. Presumably the state crime lab and / or FBI has tried to clean up the recording. I find it dubious a freelance audio tech in Portland, ME has the equipment and ability to clean up a recording and enhance it greater than that of a state crime lab and FBI. Possible? Maybe. My money is on the state and feds to have unlimited money, top equipment and experience. With the transcript provided if you listen enough your mind can talk you into hearing what the transcript says. Just like in the 80s when records played backwards supposedly had hidden words and meaning. My point is after this freelance guy generated the transcript I would feel certain LE agencies took another look at the recording with the benefit of the transcript. If the call could truly be cleaned up to that degree and the LE labs weren’t able to initially wouldn’t after having the transcript if it really was saying what freelance guy says it’s saying—wouldn’t other audio experts and labs be able to confirm it? Especially having the benefit of a supposed transcript? It’s like a true scientific experiment. If the results are legit other qualified peers can use the same methodology and get the same results.

Yes, time stamps were often incorrect during that time period with VMs. I presume the cell carrier would have to know this and be able to correct for any programming error regarding time. I am by no means a cell expert but my understanding is on the device recording the VM the time could be off but the server retaining the VM would be accurate. Also, it could be crossed check between the outgoing and incoming phone and by the call time itself. In other words, I believe it’s possible the VM on the receivers phone could have the wrong time but not on the outgoing phone placing the call, the cell towers can confirm the call and the server at the cell company holding the VM is accurate.

I know LE made blunders early on. I believe the VM has been confirmed by more than one agency to an extremely high degree of certainty and by the phone company. So I believe it was made at the club. The explanation there is no base and drums ect ect we have no idea if the phone was in her pocket, her friends pocket for safe keeping at the the club, they were in the bathroom or inside her purse or a friends purse. However, I am very confident the VM is another red herring and the call came from the night club.

 

[Webthrush]

One of the TV shows that addressed this case (I forget which one) showed that indeed the liquor bottle used could definitely have inflicted the head wounds/trauma Faith suffered, without breaking (these bottles are much sturdier than most realize -- built to go through long-distance, rough shipping/handling without breaking). I've always believed Faith was mightily struggling against the perp, biting, or kicking in groin, or gouging at eyes, or otherwise doing some offense that set off rage and the sudden grab-and-use of the bottle as the nearest weapon to subdue her... murder was never the intended plan, but the tragic result of uncontrolled rage.

Otherwise, much of what you write I fully agree with, so won't address any of the other issues, but suspect others will.

 

[cds0902]

FH was found mostly in bed and somewhat hanging off the bed. Does anyone know if the bed was where the beating started? Did it start in another location in the apartment and she end up on the bed during a struggle and met her demise there or did the entire murder take place while she was in the bed? Again, why wasn’t she screaming for her life?? Goes back to the bottle. Can you wack a person hard enough with one or two quick blows to render them unconscious and not break an empty glass bottle? If yes, then that’s why there was no screaming and a lack or mostly a lack of defensive wounds. If no, then why wasn’t there more noise? Haven’t heard much about defensive wounds. The autopsy seems to show some hand trauma but does anyone know if it’s attributed to defensive wounds? Did police photograph possible suspects to see if they had injuries? If FH was quickly subdued and unable to fight and scream for her life her injuries indicate overkill. If she was fighting and the perp had to continue beating her to kill her because she wasn’t quickly subdued why no screaming. I would think she would have awoken half the apartment community.

—the VM / seems like a red herring. I have no idea the true qualifications of the hired voice analysis guy. Presumably the state crime lab and / or FBI has tried to clean up the recording. I find it dubious a freelance audio tech in Portland, ME has the equipment and ability to clean up a recording and enhance it greater than that of a state crime lab and FBI. Possible? Maybe. My money is on the state and feds to have unlimited money, top equipment and experience. With the transcript provided if you listen enough your mind can talk you into hearing what the transcript says. Just like in the 80s when records played backwards supposedly had hidden words and meaning. My point is after this freelance guy generated the transcript I would feel certain LE agencies took another look at the recording with the benefit of the transcript. If the call could truly be cleaned up to that degree and the LE labs weren’t able to initially wouldn’t after having the transcript if it really was saying what freelance guy says it’s saying—wouldn’t other audio experts and labs be able to confirm it? Especially having the benefit of a supposed transcript? It’s like a true scientific experiment. If the results are legit other qualified peers can use the same methodology and get the same results.

Yes, time stamps were often incorrect during that time period with VMs. I presume the cell carrier would have to know this and be able to correct for any programming error regarding time. I am by no means a cell expert but my understanding is on the device recording the VM the time could be off but the server retaining the VM would be accurate. Also, it could be crossed check between the outgoing and incoming phone and by the call time itself. In other words, I believe it’s possible the VM on the receivers phone could have the wrong time but not on the outgoing phone placing the call, the cell towers can confirm the call and the server at the cell company holding the VM is accurate.

I know LE made blunders early on. I believe the VM has been confirmed by more than one agency to an extremely high degree of certainty and by the phone company. So I believe it was made at the club. The explanation there is no base and drums ect ect we have no idea if the phone was in her pocket, her friends pocket for safe keeping at the the club, they were in the bathroom or inside her purse or a friends purse. However, I am very confident the VM is another red herring and the call came from the night club.

 

[Kell1]

Ive heard of this case, many times, this is my first time delving into it

Was a time of death ever released in her case?