the camera was her friend. the camera was her way of expressing herself. reporter: denita was beginning to turn all that talent into a successful trade; working as photojournalist on the student newspaper at north carolina central university in durham. she would see things that probably the average person wouldn t see. reporter: but there was something denita didn t see coming. a blind spot in her seemingly perfect life. something she never anticipated. never imagined. but maybe no one could. it was january 4, 2007. a crisp carolina morning. denita had a busy day ahead as classes were about to resume after christmas break. denita loved school.ea and she was planning to go back and get her doctorate. and get married and have a family. and somewhere along the line, work in this business?
as her mother sharon remembers. she s always loved the camera. the camera was her friend. the camera was her way of expressing herself. reporter: denita was beginning to turn all that talent into a successful trade; working as photojournalist on the student newspaper at north carolina central university in durham. she would see things that probably the average person wouldn t see. reporter: but there was something denita didn t see coming. a blind spot in her seemingly perfect life. something she never anticipated. never imagined. but maybe no one could. it was january 4, 2007. a crisp carolina morning. denita had a busy day ahead as classes were about to resume after christmas break. denita loved school.
something she never anticipated. never imagined. but maybe no one could. it was january 4, 2007. a crisp carolina morning. denita had a busy day ahead as classes were about to resume after christmas break. denita loved school. and she was planning to go back and get her doctorate. and get married and have a family. and somewhere along the line, rk in this business? exactly. reporter: in fact, denita had won a new york times fellowship. her close friend and classmate edythe kearns. denita just always knew what she wanted. she always had a vision and a goal. and she would make a plan and stick to it and take it step by step until she met that goal. reporter: denita lived in the campus crossings apartments, near the university. around 8am, a 9-1-1 call came in from another student at the same complex.
something she never anticipated. never imagined. but maybe no one could. it was january 4, 2007. a crisp carolina morning. denita had a busy day ahead as classes were about to resume after christmas break. denita loved school. and she was planning to go back and get her doctorate. and get married and have a family. and somewhere along the line, work in this business? exactly. reporter: in fact, denita had won a new york times fellowship. her close friend and classmate edythe kearns. denita just always knew what she wanted. she always had a vision and a goal. and she would make a plan and stick to it and take it step by step until she met that goal. reporter: denita lived in the campus crossings apartments, near the university. around 8am, a 9-1-1 call came in from another student at the same complex. durham 911, where is your
something she never anticipated. never imagined. but maybe no one could. it was january 4, 2007. a crisp carolina morning. denita had a busy day ahead as classes were about to resume after christmas break. denita loved school. and she was planning to go back and get her doctorate. and get married and have a family. and somewhere along the line, work in this business? exactly. reporter: in fact, denita had won a new york times fellowship. her close friend and classmate edythe kearns. denita just always knew what she wanted. she always had a vision and a goal. and she would make a plan and stick to it and take it step by step until she met that goal. reporter: denita lived in the campus crossings apartments, near the university. around 8am, a 9-1-1 call came in from another student at the same complex.