University of North Carolina student body president murdered

March 7, 2008 Eve Carson, the student body president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was found dead on a street about one mile from campus early Wednesday morning.

The Chapel Hill Police Department responded to a report of gunshots around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, and found a young woman lying dead on the road. She had been shot several times, including a shot in the head. One of two 9-1-1 callers reported hearing a woman screaming.

She was quickly identified as Eve Marie Carson, the 22-year-old Student Body President at UNC. The Athens, Georgia resident was last seen alive around 1:30 a.m. that morning

A medical examiner says there was no evidence of sexual assault. Police currently believe it was a random act of violence, and may have involved the theft of her SUV. Her SUV was found about a mile away, and her keys and wallet are missing.

Carson's death comes nearly a year after the death of Jason Ray, a male cheerleader who at the time performed as the school's mascot, Rameses. He was struck by a car in a hit-and-run in New Jersey on March 24, 2007, during the Regionals of the 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, and died two days later of his injuries. Two men were charged in his death on January 18 of this year.

Several memorials were held on Thursday for Carson, drawing over 10,000 people in total. The Student Government website is currently shut down in her memory. The website simply has a link for providing information on her murder and the following message: "We thank you for your concern and support during this time of great loss. We ask that you allow us time to grieve."

Carson was studying political science and pre-medicine, and had studied abroad in Cuba in spring 2006. She was part of the North Carolina Fellows Program, and had served from 2006 to 2007 in student government roles including Member of Academic Advising Committee and Representative to the University Committee on Awards, Scholarships and Student Aid.