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

[Webthrush]

There are different opinions about the voicemail; mine is that it means absolutely nothing. LE has had it from the beginning and doesn’t seem to think much of it either, but they’ve verified the time multiple ways, and it was definitely placed while Faith was at the club.

I also wanted to link to this, which is the official LE release from two years after the murder. This talks specifically about semen being found, so I think that question can be put to bed.

YES, I think it needs to be made clear, that semen was found AT THE SCENE -- that means ON Faith or ON the bedding -- IF semen was found IN Faith (i.e., IF she was raped) that would've been found LATER by a medical examiner, NOT by police at the scene (and we've never heard conclusively). DNA from the semen and various key articles matching it IS the primary evidence of this case; I really don't understand some folks still wanting to lay that aside as some sort of red herring or planted evidence (sometimes to say that a female, KR, instead of a male is the killer), the likelihood is so tiny.

 

[scadagirl28]

I think the debate is was this a solo predator that happened upon Faith or a duo laying in wait . I think everyone here wants justice for Faith Hedgepeth .

 

[Ibiz]

There are different opinions about the voicemail; mine is that it means absolutely nothing. LE has had it from the beginning and doesn’t seem to think much of it either, but they’ve verified the time multiple ways, and it was definitely placed while Faith was at the club.

I also wanted to link to this, which is the official LE release from two years after the murder. This talks specifically about semen being found, so I think that question can be put to bed.

I'm not trying to throw a stick into any spokes here, but according to that NR: "A sexual assault kit was collected, which revealed the presence of semen. It was determined that the DNA profile generated from this semen matched other DNA evidence which was also recovered from the crime scene." According to a crime documentary I saw on TV last night: it is possible that the semen found in Faith's body could have been the result of a sexual encounter that had taken place as much as 3 or 4 days prior to her murder.

 

[Simplestarz86]

There are different opinions about the voicemail; mine is that it means absolutely nothing. LE has had it from the beginning and doesn’t seem to think much of it either, but they’ve verified the time multiple ways, and it was definitely placed while Faith was at the club.

I also wanted to link to this, which is the official LE release from two years after the murder. This talks specifically about semen being found, so I think that question can be put to bed.

Many inconsistencies in the NR attached. I have the ME narrative summary in front of me now. It states that the body was found on top of a slightly skewed mattress and covered by a blanket; the NR states she was found on the floor. I have been troubled by the number of inconsistencies in many of the documents related to Faith's murder. IMO- if there has been a suspect that has lawyered up...these inconsistencies would be huge for the defense. Reasonable doubt. JMO.

 

[Ibiz]

Police officials are under no obligation to tell the truth in their press releases SimpleStarz. Infact, it's very unlikely that they would tell the truth about how FH was really found. I'm actually shocked that they would say that a sexual assault test showed DNA inside FH's body. By exposing this knowledge, it would give a suspect an easy out by him simply stating that he had sexual relations with FH sometime prior to her murder.

This basically means that we are in the air as to if and where any DNA was found. Like I pointed out earlier; the DNA could have been left there 3 or 4 days prior, or thus planted evidence as well.

 

[Simplestarz86]

Police officials are under no obligation to tell the truth in their press releases SimpleStarz. Infact, it's very unlikely that they would tell the truth about how FH was really found. I'm actually shocked that they would say that a sexual assault test showed DNA inside FH's body. By exposing this knowledge, it would give a suspect an easy out by him simply stating that he had sexual relations with FH sometime prior to her murder.

This basically means that we are in the air as to if and where any DNA was found. Like I pointed out earlier; the DNA could have been left there 3 or 4 days prior, or thus planted evidence as well.

I am fully aware LE have no obligation, to tell the truth in their press releases. I take a lot of the documents with a grain of salt due to so many inconsistencies. I wasn't even talking about DNA...I was just stating the positioning of the body, and how these inconsistencies could help out a defense team.

 

[Ibiz]

I am fully aware LE have no obligation, to tell the truth in their press releases. I take a lot of the documents with a grain of salt due to so many inconsistencies. I wasn't even talking about DNA...I was just stating the positioning of the body, and how these inconsistencies could help out a defense team.

As I was trying to explain, these inconsistencies would not help the killer's defense in any way. Only the people who found Faith's body, the investigators who investigated, and the killer(s), would know the information you are seeking. From an investigation stand point, it would be foolish to release that information to the general public. Then again, we read press releases and news articles giving us confrontational information about the positioning of Faith's body when found.

Sometimes SimpleStarz, police officials will release falsified information to news agencies and the public in order to play a psychological cat and mouse game with the killer(s). Sometimes this causes the killer(s) to slip up, and say things about the crime that they should not know; thus alerting investigators that they need to be looked at as a suspect.

 

[CADwrest]

I don't think the discrepancy between the sources regarding her positioning is really so great as to be concerned about.
In one document, it says "found on floor leaning against the bed" and in the other, it says "discovered... on a slightly askew mattress with surrounding large amounts of blood." I'd accept both of those descriptions as being consistent with a body that's partly on the bed and partly on the floor, and they're both consistent with what KR says in her 9-11 call. And whatever else, police have multiple crime scene photos that show the exact positioning of the body. I don't really see how minor variations like that would help a criminal defense case. It's not like one says she was in the living room and one says she was in the bedroom.

I'm not getting into the new attempt to dismiss the DNA evidence by saying LE is lying about it. I just can't.

 

[Ibiz]

I don't think the discrepancy between the sources regarding her positioning is really so great as to be concerned about.
In one document, it says "found on floor leaning against the bed" and in the other, it says "discovered... on a slightly askew mattress with surrounding large amounts of blood." I'd accept both of those descriptions as being consistent with a body that's partly on the bed and partly on the floor, and they're both consistent with what KR says in her 9-11 call. And whatever else, police have multiple crime scene photos that show the exact positioning of the body. I don't really see how minor variations like that would help a criminal defense case. It's not like one says she was in the living room and one says she was in the bedroom.

I'm not getting into the new attempt to dismiss the DNA evidence by saying LE is lying about it. I just can't.

I dont think anyone is trying to dismiss the DNA, but like I said: FH could have accumulated the DNA as much as 3 or 4 days prior to her murder. I believe a lot of the press reports stated that the DNA was consistent with that found about the appartment. Nevertheless, it's not likely that CHIPS is being honest with us about how/what/where the DNA was found.

We have to take everything with a little grain of salt Cadwrest..

 

[CADwrest]

I dont think anyone is trying to dismiss the DNA, but like I said: FH could have accumulated the DNA as much as 3 or 4 days prior to her murder. I believe a lot of the press reports stated that the DNA was consistent with that found about the appartment. Nevertheless, it's not likely that CHIPS is being honest with us about how/what/where the DNA was found.

We have to take everything with a little grain of salt Cadwrest..

But, Ibiz, think about the implications here. LE has reached out to the public multiple times, they clearly feel they need someone to step forward and fill in some of the blanks. I know occasionally they'll release misinformation tactically, but they didn't release this until 2 years after the murder. Who are they trying to sweat here, and what action are they trying to trick them into making? Also, remember that so much of the information they've released is based on that DNA. If there was no DNA/semen, what is the Paragon image based on? Why would they put a false image of the perp out there and sabotage the public's ability to help? How many therefore worthless leads have been generated based on all that? How many leads DIDN'T come in because someone said "well, I thought it COULD be this other guy, but he doesn't look like the picture, so never mind"? I just can't wrap my mind around how that would make any sense.

 

[Ibiz]

At this point, I dont think there is a point in playing ring around the rosie with the DNA. I gave a few different scenarios which could possibly explain it's presence. What you said has led me thinking of the note on the food bag. Did FH and her roommate stop and pick up food on their way home from the bar? Along the way, did they pick up a third person? For the sake of argument, lets say that who ever wrote the note had to subtract themselves from the murder scene, and get cleaned up to write it, if that person didn't already write it, or maybe that person tried to stage the crime scene by writing the note, and doing other things that might send the police searching in a different direction. A lot of people would agree that when DNA was found; investigators could have thought they had an easy peasy case to solve.

Nevertheless, finding the owner of the DNA might help shed some light on this case.

 

[Webthrush]

Just a quick note FWIW: Despite not posting anything new for a long while on the case, Tom Gasparoli says he has not abandoned it and people are still welcome to pass along any information they care to share with him.

 

[Skigirl]

Just a quick note FWIW: Despite not posting anything new for a long while on the case, Tom Gasparoli says he has not abandoned it and people are still welcome to pass along any information they care to share with him.

Yes, I'm sure Gasparoli would like to have people pass on information...what journalist wouldn't like to get info with no effort...

 

[Skigirl]

I dont think anyone is trying to dismiss the DNA, but like I said: FH could have accumulated the DNA as much as 3 or 4 days prior to her murder. I believe a lot of the press reports stated that the DNA was consistent with that found about the appartment. Nevertheless, it's not likely that CHIPS is being honest with us about how/what/where the DNA was found.

We have to take everything with a little grain of salt Cadwrest..

I don't think the CHPD is actually lying about anything. They may be answering questions very carefully so as to both tell the truth and not reveal evidence that they have, but outright lie, I don't think so. JMO. They have been very clear that there is DNA both on the weapon and on Faith that they believe is from the killer, and they believe that the composite that was rendered by Parabon is the DNA donor and the killer.

 

[Webthrush]

Since things seem a little slow, here's another new general article on genetic genealogy, for any interested:
How your at-home DNA test results could solve cold cases

 

[Ibiz]

I don't think the CHPD is actually lying about anything. They may be answering questions very carefully so as to both tell the truth and not reveal evidence that they have, but outright lie, I don't think so. JMO. They have been very clear that there is DNA both on the weapon and on Faith that they believe is from the killer, and they believe that the composite that was rendered by Parabon is the DNA donor and the killer.

I see your point.. and I realize what your saying is proof to a fact, but I think you've missed the point of saying that when it comes to the point of science you have some skills to be admired, but when it comes to psychology, we are somewhere different to the fact that there are differences between flat out lies, and little white ones Skigirl.

 

[Ibiz]

Derrick tackles questions surrounding the Faith Hedgepeth case, including who he believes is a person of interest, the DNA found in the apartment, and the meaning behind the mysterious note. Kris catches up with Faith's father.

Faith Hedgepeth | Breaking Homicide: The Final Theory

If you haven't watched the above Breaking Homicide recap from Kris and Derrick, then you should. Derrick answers some questions about the DNA, and Kris does a recap with Roland..

 

[Webthrush]

Derrick tackles questions surrounding the Faith Hedgepeth case, including who he believes is a person of interest, the DNA found in the apartment, and the meaning behind the mysterious note. Kris catches up with Faith's father.

Faith Hedgepeth | Breaking Homicide: The Final Theory

If you haven't watched the above Breaking Homicide recap from Kris and Derrick, then you should. Derrick answers some questions about the DNA, and Kris does a recap with Roland..

well, we have to agree to disagree again… IMO their summation is weak and filled with little more than subjective, speculative hunches. The major piece of solid forensic evidence, DNA, they pooh-pooh as being all over the apt. with perhaps several matches… What??? The DNA of pertinence is on a pen, a bag, a rum bottle, and semen, all matching an unknown (unmatched) male perp. I won’t be completely surprised if some associate of Takoy Jones is involved somehow, but will be fairly surprised if any other name we know of is involved; again JMO.

(and I think this case will be solved before the 7th anniversary; just my own guess)

 

[Webthrush]

Nothing new, but I continue to find the work (“genetic genealogy”) of Parabon Labs fascinating (two more old cases recently solved).

Earlier I had the impression that their solved cases were all 10+ years old, so was encouraged to see that 2 of the cases on this chart (end of article) of their first 10 successes were actually less than 5 years old (younger than the 6+ yr-old Hedgepeth crime; also one of their solved cases was from Fayetteville, NC., just south of the Hedgepeth case):
Parabon® Announces 10th Solved Case in First 100 Days of Snapshot® Genetic Genealogy Service

Since that chart (Sept.) several more cases have been ’solved,’ including at least one more less than 5 years old. In total, another article says that Parabon has “helped solve about 30 cases” of well over 200 they’ve worked on nationwide, and the technique seems to be getting faster, more efficient all the time. Crossing my fingers.

 

[Ibiz]

Just some food for thought.

Thing's we can point out, which are very important for us to realize, this is due to the fact that the autopsy report shows no signs of a sexual assault. Very interestingly, we take interest to the fact that the report mentions nothing about semen on FH's body. If so, it would be mentioned in the autopsy report. At the crime scene, police officers would not have been finding or collecting semen from FH's body. It's important to know that only the MD would be allowed to do that, and we take note of knowing that it would be clearly stated in the autopsy report. So if there was any semen, it would have been somewhere else, but because their was no sexual assault; it leaves us with reasonable doubts as to if there was any at all. Knowing that we know that the news release posted by Cadwrest was issued by an officer at the Chapel Hill Police Station, and he/she is not a Medical Examiner, but together we can brainstorm a dozen reasons why investigators working on this case in 2014, would want the public to take interest in believing what was written in the release as truth. Because FH's clothing had been pulled off, between all of us, we have to believe that the killer staged the crime seen to make it "APPEAR" that a sexual assault had taken place.

According to the lady from CHIPs, there is somesort of DNA profile, but she has been very vague as to it's origin. As far as the note is concerned, if we think very carefully, we should take into consideration that if the killer left DNA on it, then he/she would have left a palm print as well. This would be known as writers palm/hand. If not, it's safe for us to consider realizing that the author of the note could have possibly fisted his/her hand around the pen, and wrote the note without touching the bag. Certainly, it would not be unusual for KR's and FH's finger/hand prints to be on it as well. We should also be careful when we take note to the fact that because the perpetrator took extra time to write the note it could indicate that he/she took comfort in the belief that know one would be coming home to the appartment. Couple this with the fact that the perpetrator was able to leave the appartment without leaving a trace of evidence leading down the stairs, or away from the appartment. This certainly teaches us that he/she wasn't in any kind of a rush.

Therefore, because so much DNA was found, it would be important for CHIPs to locate the foreign DNA in order to find out if it could implicate a suspect.