Nine years and nine days after the murder of UNC student Faith Hedgepeth, an arrest has been made and a man is in custody following a match in DNA evidence obtained from the crime scene. The news triggered reactions from the UNC and Chapel Hill communities across social media Thursday afternoon.

Hedgepeth was a 19-year-old UNC sophomore when she was found beaten to death in 2012 in her off-campus apartment near the Durham-Chapel Hill town limits.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper shared his gratitude for the teams that have been working on this case for almost a decade.

NC Attorney General Josh Stein appeared at the Chapel Hill Police Department’s Thursday press conference announcing the arrest of Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares. Addressing the years between Hedgepeth’s murder and the subject’s arrest, Stein said “sometimes, justice is swift. Other times, it takes longer.”

UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz also spoke at Thursday’s press conference. He told the media: “Carolina is a different place because of Faith.” He also recognized on Twitter those that have continued to work on this case.

Members of UNC Faculty and the Tar Heel community also took to social media following Chapel Hill PD’s announcement, sharing raw emotions and new questions in reaction to the news.

https://twitter.com/sara__pequeno/status/1438603668870287364

https://twitter.com/PennyRich/status/1438599483114332162

The homicide investigation will remain an active and ongoing case until the Durham County District Attorney tries the case in court.

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