Last week, the office of Gov. Bev Perdue contributed $10,000 to the reward fund for information about the September death of UNC student Faith Hedgepeth. Perdue’s decision to grant the request for the reward money should be commended, but police should be more responsive and transparent as they conduct the investigation.
Connie Hedgepeth, Faith Hedgepeth’s mother, said she approached the Chapel Hill Police Department about two weeks after her daughter’s death to seek the additional reward money, but police did not submit the request until about two weeks ago. By not acting on her request sooner, police suggested that the additional reward was not a priority at the time.
Police have not released a cause of death, even though Connie Hedgepeth said her daughter’s death certificate indicated that she was beaten to death.
Faith Hedgepeth’s family and friends and the UNC community deserve transparency as the case continues. Police should release everything they know that would not jeopardize the investigation.
The police could start by making some of the records related to the case publicly available. A Durham County judge sealed at least five search warrants and the recording of the 911 call. Releasing some details would reduce uncertainty and might cause someone with information to come forward.
On Friday, The Daily Tar Heel requested a search warrant that had passed its 60-day seal and became a public record, but a judge resealed it for an additional 45 days.
Police have said the sealing decisions are to protect records containing information sensitive to the case. But Faith Hedgepeth’s family and friends deserve answers soon.
As the case progresses, police officials should be more open and transparent in their communication with the public.
