'SNAPSHOT' OF KILLER? Company creates image from DNA to find murderer

Faith Hedgepeth was bludgeoned to death four years ago inside her off-campus apartment at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in a case that remains unsolved. The killer left behind a chilling note and traces of DNA -- which a forensic technology company has now used to create a 3-D sketch of what the suspect might look like. A "snapshot tool" developed by Parabon NanoLabs has created a 3-D image of the killer based on DNA traits, and authorities are hopeful the sketch could lead to a break in the case. The Reston, Va.-based Parabon Nanolabs, with funding from the Department of Defense, debuted the breakthrough type of analysis called DNA phenotyping in 2015 which the company said can predict a person's physical appearance from the tiniest DNA samples, like a speck of blood or strand of hair. The DNA phenotyping service, commercially known as "Snapshot," could put a face on millions of unsolved cases, and generate investigative leads when the trail has gone cold.