Reward raised for information in Hedgepeth slaying

An additional $10,000 has been added to the reward fund for information about the homicide of UNC junior Faith Danielle Hedgepeth — a move her family hopes will bring answers in her death.

The grant from the office of Gov. Bev Perdue brings the total reward fund for information leading to an arrest and conviction to $39,000.

Hedgepeth, a junior from Warrenton, was found dead by her roommate at about 11 a.m. on Sept. 7 in her apartment at the Hawthorne at the View Apartments.

Connie Hedgepeth said her daughter’s death certificate states she was beaten to death.

But police have not yet released a cause of death.

Chapel Hill police have said they do not believe Hedgepeth’s death was random or there is a threat to the community.

But more than two months after her death, many questions remain unanswered.

“It gets harder … Faith wouldn’t have been away for more than two months,” said Connie Hedgepeth.

“She would have called, she would have walked in my door. But that’s not going to happen.”

About two weeks after Hedgepeth was killed, Connie Hedgepeth said she approached the Chapel Hill Police Department about applying for the additional reward money.

She said the letter asking for the money was finally submitted about a week and a half ago.

“It was something I had been asking for two weeks after she died, and they finally asked for it,” Connie Hedgepeth said.

“I guess they didn’t think that they needed it at that time.”

In addition to the governor’s office funds, the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of Hollister, Hawthorne at the View Apartments, Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC Crimestoppers and the UNC Board of Trustees have also pledged donations.

Connie Hedgepeth said she hopes the additional funding will encourage anyone with information about her daughter’s death to come forward.

“You’d think it would get a little easier, but you don’t have answers,” she said. “When you don’t have answers, your mind starts to wander.”

Sgt. Josh Mecimore, spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department, said the department has no updates in the investigation at this time.

At least five search warrants and the 911 call have been sealed by a Durham County judge at the request of Chapel Hill police.

According to a release sent out Wednesday, the Chapel Hill Police Department continues to appeal to anyone with information about Hedgepeth’s death to call the police department’s tip line.

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.