Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old sophomore, was found dead in her off-campus apartment Sept. 7.
On Tuesday, police said their investigation so far shows Hedgepeth was found dead by her roommate around 11 a.m. in the apartment they shared at the Hawthorne at the View apartment complex on Old Chapel Hill Road.
The pair had returned from a local Chapel Hill nightclub, The Thrill, very early that morning. Hedgepeth was last known to be alive around 3 a.m.
Police said they found DNA evidence left by a male suspect at the residence.
"Investigators are confident this DNA will identify the offender and help us to exclude individuals not involved in this crime," said the Chapel Hill Police Department in a statement.
Investigators also said they'd worked with an FBI profiler to develop possible characteristics about the suspect:
- He is familiar with the victim and may have lived near the victim in the past.
- He was unaccounted for during the early morning hours of September 7, 2012.
- He may have made comments regarding the victim to close associates in the past.
- There may have been some change in his behavior after the murder (to include an unusual interest in the case) or a change in his performance at work or school.
Contacted by ABC11 Tuesday, the Hedgepeth family issued a statement on the investigation.
"We, the family are relieved the police department has done this release and we're confident Faith's murderer will be charged," it said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Chapel Hill Police Department tip line at (919) 614-6363 or Crimestoppers at (919) 942-7515. Calls to Crimestoppers are confidential. Tips and information can also be emailed to investigators at crimetips@townofchapelhill.org
The total reward money for information leading to an arrest and conviction is now at $39,000.
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