For Other Families

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Things families may encounter when trying to keep the unsolved homicide of a loved one visible—and practical ways to navigate them.

When someone you love is murdered and the case remains unsolved, it can be difficult to know what to do next. Families may find themselves trying to keep their loved one's name and story visible while also navigating law enforcement, media attention, social media, public interest and their own need for time away from it all.

Over the years, other families of homicide victims have contacted us looking for ideas about how they might bring attention to their loved one's case. Every family, every case and every experience is different. There is no single way to do this.

This page shares some of the situations families may encounter, practical options they may wish to consider, and resources that may be helpful. Where appropriate, we also share examples from the Justice for Faith effort—not as a blueprint for other families, but simply as experiences from which others may find something useful.

A homicide can quickly become the first thing the public associates with a victim. Remember that your loved one had an entire life before they became the subject of a news story.

Share photographs that show who they were. Talk about their personality, family, interests, accomplishments, faith, community, education, work, dreams and the things that made them unique.

Consider establishing one reliable place where people can learn about your loved one and their case. This may be a social media page, a website or both. A consistent page name, photograph, hashtag or simple graphic can make your efforts easier for people to recognize.

Supporters often want to help but may not know what to do. Make participation easy. Give them a photograph or post to share, a sign to hold, a hashtag to use, an event to attend or another simple way to help keep your loved one's story visible.

Families do not necessarily have to wait for reporters to contact them. If you want media attention, consider reaching out yourself. Anniversaries, birthdays, remembrance events, rewards, significant case developments and national observances can all provide appropriate opportunities to contact the media again.

Be persistent if you do not hear back. Newsrooms receive many story ideas, and timing can make a difference. A lack of response from one reporter does not necessarily mean there is no interest.

Also remember that reporters move. They change assignments, leave stations, move to different news organizations and leave the area. A reporter who knew your loved one's story several years ago may no longer be there. Families advocating over a long period may have to make new media contacts and introduce the case again.

It can help to have a brief case summary ready that explains who your loved one was and what happened in just a sentence or two.

For example, this was an important part of introducing Faith's case:

Faith Hedgepeth was a 19-year-old junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when she was murdered on September 7, 2012, less than three weeks before her 20th birthday.

From there, we could tell reporters more about Faith herself—her family, education, accomplishments, heritage, faith and dreams for her future.

Consider keeping several good photographs readily available, along with correct names, dates, basic biographical information and family contact information that you are comfortable sharing.

Keep reporters' names and contact information as relationships develop. And save media coverage when it appears. Websites change, publications close and old links disappear. Do not assume an article or television segment that is online today will still be easily accessible years from now.

Finally, remember that you can provide information and an interview, but you generally do not control the finished story, headline or which portions of an interview are ultimately used.

Public attention can bring contacts you never anticipated.

Some people will simply want to express sympathy or encouragement. Others may have questions, theories or believe they have information about the case. You may also hear from amateur investigators, podcasters, reporters and people whose reasons for contacting you are difficult to understand.

You do not have to investigate information yourself or decide whether a potential tip is credible. Families may find it helpful to establish early where information about the case should be submitted and consistently direct potentially relevant information to the appropriate law-enforcement agency.

You also do not have to respond to every message, theory or request.

Once a case receives public attention, other people may use your loved one's name, photograph or story in ways you did not anticipate.

During the Justice for Faith effort, we encountered unauthorized attempts to raise money or sell items using Faith's name. We also saw social media pages created around Faith's case that eventually began promoting messages or causes unrelated to the purpose of Justice for Faith. At another point, Faith's photograph was incorporated into material for an unrelated cause without our involvement.

Families may want to establish an identifiable official website or social media presence so the public, media and potential supporters have somewhere to determine whether a fundraiser, event, statement or campaign is actually associated with the family.

Periodically search your loved one's name and the name of your campaign online. If something concerning appears, consider saving screenshots or other documentation before contacting the person, organization or platform.

Someone may genuinely care about your loved one's story without sharing your family's purpose. Your loved one does not have to become part of another person's campaign, cause or agenda simply because their photograph or story is publicly available.

Social media can be an extraordinary tool for keeping a case visible. It allows families to communicate directly with supporters, share photographs and memories, announce events and make information available to reporters and the public.

It also comes with a difficult side.

People can be remarkably kind. Others can be cruel, intrusive or accusatory. Strangers may confidently present theories based on incomplete information, criticize the victim or family, or expect answers to questions the family cannot or does not want to answer.

Decide what you are comfortable sharing publicly. Remember that photographs and information posted online can be copied and redistributed beyond the audience for which you originally intended them.

You do not have to argue with strangers. You do not have to respond to every comment. And family members do not all have to have the same comfort level with public advocacy.

Public advocacy and support for the investigation do not have to conflict.

Throughout the Justice for Faith effort, potentially relevant information about Faith's homicide has been directed to law enforcement.

Families can maintain contact with investigators, ask appropriate questions and encourage the public to submit information without attempting to conduct the investigation themselves.

Make sure your website, social media pages and public materials contain accurate information about where legitimate tips should be submitted.

You do not have to create every event yourself.

Organizations supporting homicide survivors and crime victims may offer remembrance ceremonies, walks, vigils, support groups and other opportunities. These events can provide a chance to meet other families, learn about resources and remember your loved one publicly.

North Carolina 

North Carolina Victim Assistance Network (NCVAN) supports the rights and well-being of surviving loved ones of homicide victims and others harmed by violent crime in North Carolina. 

https://nc-van.org/

 National Organizations and Hotlines

• National Center for Victims of Crime: Offers free, confidential support, resources, and advocacy for crime survivors. Visit the National Center for Victims of Crime or call for assistance. 
• VictimConnect Resource Center: A referral helpline providing traditional support, resource mapping, and navigation for violent crime survivors. Call or text 1-855-4VICTIM (1-855-484-2846) or visit VictimConnect Resource Center. 
• National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children (POMC): Provides ongoing emotional self-help support, crisis intervention, and guidance through the criminal justice system specifically for families and survivors of homicide victims. 
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) 24-Hour Victim Helpline: Provides free support and guidance for survivors impacted by fatal drunk or drugged driving crashes. Call 1-877-MADD-HELP (1-877-623-3435) or visit Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
• Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Directory: Use the official OVC Directory of Crime Victim Services managed by the U.S. Department of Justice to locate localized or specialized homicide support programs in your state. 

There are also several observances families may want to know about:

National Crime Victims' Rights Week — April
The specific dates change each year.

September 25 — National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims

November 20–December 20 — National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month

Local events associated with these observances may take place on different dates. Search your community and surrounding areas for walks, vigils, memorial services and other opportunities to participate.

You do not have to do this every day.

Advocacy can happen in spurts. There may be periods when you post frequently, contact reporters, attend events or work on a website. There may also be weeks or months when you do very little publicly.

Take the breaks when you need them.

Stepping away from public advocacy does not mean you have stopped caring, abandoned the case or forgotten your loved one.

When a homicide remains unsolved, families do not know whether the journey will last months, years or much longer. Find a pace you can sustain.

An arrest or other major development can change the nature of public advocacy.

If criminal proceedings begin, families may need to become more careful about publicly discussing evidence, witnesses, potential suspects or other aspects of the case. Consider asking the prosecutor's office or victim/witness professional what guidance they have for family members during pending proceedings.

The focus of a family page can also evolve. Seeking information and public awareness may become less prominent while remembrance, family-approved updates and preserving your loved one's story become more important.

The purpose does not have to disappear simply because the circumstances change.

Looking back, some of the most useful lessons are surprisingly simple.

Save important media coverage from the beginning. Keep original copies of photographs you make public. Maintain reporter contact information. Establish clearly identifiable official social media pages when possible. Remember that reporters will change over time. Expect that public attention may bring unusual or unwanted contacts. You do not have to respond to everyone or chase every theory.

And remember that you cannot know at the beginning how long you may be doing this.

Start small.

Choose a photograph of your loved one that you want people to remember.

Write a few sentences explaining who they were, not only how they died.

Create one reliable place where people can find accurate information.

Make sure people know where legitimate tips should be submitted.

Consider introducing yourself and the case to a local reporter.

Ask relatives and friends to share your loved one's photograph and story.

Save important coverage and information as you go.

Then take it one step at a time.

Nothing on this page guarantees that public advocacy will lead to an arrest or resolution. These are simply ideas and experiences that may help families preserve their loved one's story, maintain awareness and navigate some of the situations that can come with public advocacy.

Every family is different. Use what is helpful to yours and leave what isn't.

Most importantly, never let the circumstances of your loved one's death become the only thing the world knows about their life.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS 

 Over the years, the Justice for Faith effort used many different approaches to keep Faith's name, face and story visible. Some campaigns shared information about her homicide, while others focused on Faith's life, remembrance, community events, victim-awareness observances or opportunities for supporters to participate. We varied the message and format over time rather than relying on a single type of post. The examples below are shared simply as ideas that other families may wish to adapt in ways that are meaningful to them.