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The Daily Tar Heel

Judge unseals 911 call, search warrants from Faith Hedgepeth homicide investigation

UPDATE, 6:44 p.m.: In the 911 call released to the public, Faith Hedgepeth's roommate Karena Rosario told the operator she found her friend unconscious.

The call was placed at 11:01 a.m. on Sept. 7, 2012.

When asked if Hedgepeth was breathing, Rosario said, "I don't know. I don't think so. There's blood everywhere."

Chapel Hill police have not released any information regarding the circumstances in which Hedgepeth died.

Rosario told the operator she found Hedgepeth on her back in the bedroom and repeatedly said it looked like someone had been in the apartment.

"There's stuff in my room that wasn't here before," she said in the 911 call. "It looks like someone came in here. It really does."

Rosario and Hedgepeth lived together in a one-bedroom apartment at Hawthorne at the View at 5639 Old Chapel Hill Road in Durham.

Redacted search warrants obtained by The Daily Tar Heel show Chapel Hill police searched both Hedgepeth's and Rosario's Facebook accounts and laptops. They also searched the apartment they shared on Sept. 7 and 10, seizing clothes, bedding, pillows and paperwork, among other items.

Police also searched a 2012 Jeep on Sept. 11, seizing clothing, shoes, bedding, papers and other items.


On Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Howard Manning ordered to unseal all search warrants and the 911 call related to the homicide of UNC junior Faith Hedgepeth.

Manning unsealed the redacted search warrants and the un-redacted 911 call related to Hedgepeth's case after the documents had been sealed for almost two years.

The search warrants are still largely redacted after Manning determined that releasing the redacted information would jeopardize the nature of the investigation. 

Chapel Hill police are the investigation agency for the Hedgepeth investigation. Police have not released new information about the case since January 2013.

Hedgepeth was found dead in her off-campus apartment on Sept. 7, 2012. Three days later, Chapel Hill police asked for all records pertaining to the investigation to be sealed. Every 60 days since then, Chapel Hill police and Durham County District Attorney Leon Stanback asked for the records to be sealed again. 

The Daily Tar Heel, Capital Broadcasting Company, Inc., the News and Observer Publishing Company and WTVD filed a motion asking the court to vacate its sealing orders earlier this year.

This story is developing, and more information will be published as available. 

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