Police Release New Sketch in 1982 Unsolved Murder

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Images: The age-progression sketch of Veronica Hepworth’s unknown boyfriend; Veronica Hepworth; her unknown boyfriend in 1982 (Virginia State Police and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office).

The Virginia State Police and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office released a composite sketch of a suspect Thursday to generate tips from the public about the 1982 unsolved murder of a Fairfax County woman.

Veronica Hepworth was 20 years old when her partially-clothed body was discovered along a driveway at 7 a.m. on Feb. 25, 1982, in Loudoun County. She was found by a passerby driving along Route 50, a quarter of a mile east of Route 15 near Gilberts Corner.

As part of the investigation, an age-progression sketch has been developed of what Hepworth’s last-known serious boyfriend might look like today. Her boyfriend, as seen in a 1982 photograph, was a white male with dark hair and would likely be in his mid-50s to early 60s today, the police said.

Over the years, neither her family nor investigators have been able to identify the boyfriend. The age progression sketch was developed utilizing forensic science, aging, anatomy and art from a certified law enforcement forensic artist.

Hepworth was last seen alive at about 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 25, 1982, at the Fancy Dancer Bar on Route 1 in Fairfax County. She was there with a group celebrating a friend’s birthday. It is still unknown if Ms. Hepworth left the bar alone and hitchhiked to get home, or left with another person, the police said.

Based on tips and witness information, a red pickup truck, possibly a late 1960s or 1970s model, was seen near the farm where her body was left.

Anyone with information about Ms. Hepworth or the unidentified individual in the photograph/sketch is encouraged to call the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Fairfax Field Office at 703-376-1690 or the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at 703-737-8487. All calls will remain confidential.