By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Nine Rowan University journalism students spent their fall semester investigating the unsolved murder of a fellow student.  The result is the Donnie Farrell project, an online collection of their work.

The students interviewed family, friends and witnesses and wrote stories about Donnie’s life, his murder and its aftermath. Their hope was to gain renewed interest in a cold case.

“We didn’t solve the crime, but we feel we’ve done something really meaningful.”

Adjunct Professor Amy Quinn said the students helped bring renewed interest in the cold case and uncovered new facts about what happened the day 19-year-old Donnie was killed.

“One of my students found a witness who was with Donnie and had not been interviewed at the time,” said Quinn. “She kind of shed a little more light for us on what they had been doing that day, how they encouraged that group of people.”

Quinn said the publicity surrounding the project also helped unite strangers who shared a common bond.

“The recipient of one of Donnie’s organs saw the stories in the paper and wrote his parents a letter and said I think I have your son’s kidney and I’d like to meet you and thank you.  So they actually got together.”

Donnie Farrell was beaten to death outside of an X-Press Mart on Rowan’s campus four years ago.  For more info on Donnie’s life and legacy, go to thedonnieproject.com.