19-year-old Faith Hedgepeth, a proud member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe, was born and raised in North Carolina alongside her mother and three siblings - her parents having separated shortly after Faith's birth in 1992. At high school, Faith was a well-liked and intelligent student who studied hard to achieve her life-long goal of being the first member of her family to graduate university. She was an honor student and subsequently received the Gates Millennium scholarship, made specifically to help ethnic minorities in the US afford their studies. Faith then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and hoped to become a teacher or paediatrician following graduation. 

During her studies, Faith lived in an apartment with Karena 'Rosie' Rosario, her friend since freshman year, and Rosie's boyfriend, Eriq Takoy Jones. Rosie and Eriq's relationship was turbulent and plagued by domestic violence. After a time, Rosie decided to end the relationship following advice given to her by Faith, and the pair went to get a protective order. Eriq became threatened by the influence Faith had over his relationship with Rosie, but despite this, he tried numerous times to reconcile with Rosario - though not in legal ways, attempting to break into their apartment at least twice. Tensions were high between the girls and Jones, which led many to believe that he was responsible for the horrific events of September 6th and September 7th 2012.

That night, Faith attended an event set up by the Alpha Pi Omega sorority in the hopes to join the Native American sorority, but after some time, Faith and Rosie went to the university library to work on some papers before returning to their apartment to change and headed out to a local club. Rosie took unwell and the girls left in the early hours of September 7th, returning to the apartment complex around 3am. Between 3:40 and 4:25, a number of texts were send from Faith's phone and Rosie's, to Rosario's ex and a friend. The friend picked Rosie up from the apartment around 4:25, she herself believing Faith to be asleep, she left the door unlocked. Rosario stayed the night at her friends before trying to contact Faith to give her a lift home, but she didn't answer. Upon Rosie's arrival alongside another acquaintance at approximately 11am, they found Faith's lifeless body under a quilt on her bed, partially nude and covered in blood. They immediately contacted police. Many suspected Eriq of killing Faith following the pair being at constant loggerheads, but after analysing the DNA found at the scene, it did not belong to him. 

If you feel that you need support regarding any of the issues presented in this episode, please contact your local crisis centre.

CREDITS:

Narration and Production - Kirsty Skye

Research and Writing - Nikkielmas

Scoring - S. D. D. C.

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SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Faith_Hedgepeth#

https://chapelboro.com/news/top-stories-of-2021/top-stories-of-2021-an-arrest-made-in-the-

murder-of-faith-hedgepeth

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/court-documents-reveal-how-suspect-was-linked-faith-

hedgepeths-2012-murder/K6JRLS7AQBFKPPSX7V76C5TPLM/

https://www.wral.com/no-bond-for-man-charged-with-2012-murder-of-unc-chapel-hill-student-

faith-hedgepeth/19879688/

Sketch based on DNA

https://www.wral.com/police-release-photo-that-could-identify-suspect-in-faith-hedgepeth-

murder/16049750/

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