Woman found dead in Jordan Lake was an Apex resident. How authorities learned her name
A deceased woman found in Jordan Lake has been identified as an Apex resident after a week went by without her name and background known.
The woman, Hadeel Ghadhanfer Hikmat, 34, was identified through a fingerprint analysis by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday.
An investigation into how Hikmat ended up dead in the lake is ongoing, but authorities believe her death wasn’t an accident or self-inflicted.
Authorities previously shared a sketch of the image of a woman with brown hair, dark eyes and tan skin, speculating that she was of Latin American or Middle Eastern heritage. She was found wearing a pearl necklace.
Hikmat was spotted in the water near the Farrington Point Boat Ramp at 605 Farrington Point Road by a boater on Aug. 29 before 2:30 p.m.
The Sheriff’s Office recovered the body and began an investigation.
“We’re still relying on the community’s assistance in providing Hadeel Hikmat’s family with the answers they deserve in their loved one’s passing,” Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson said.
Since the investigation began, the Sheriff said his office has been contacted by the families of several missing women in the area.
“We hope that, through continued efforts, their loved ones can be located, and their matters resolved as well,” Roberson said in a statement.
The Sheriff’s Office requests that anyone who was acquainted with Hikmat and has any information about her whereabouts, interactions, or any relevant details, please contact the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office at 919-542-2911.
This story was originally published September 6, 2023 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Woman found dead in Jordan Lake was an Apex resident. How authorities learned her name."
