A Durham County jury on Friday delivered a guilty verdict in a murder case that haunted the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill community for over a decade. Miguel Salguero-Olivares was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense, and first-degree burglary in the 2012 death of UNC student Faith Hedgepeth.
The decision marks the end of a long and emotional pursuit of justice that began when Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old junior, was found beaten to death in her off-campus apartment on September 7, 2012. For nine years, the case remained one of the region’s most prominent unsolved homicides until forensic evidence led to the arrest of Salguero-Olivares in September 2021.
In the courtroom, the weight of the 14-year wait was palpable. Connie Hedgepeth, Faith’s mother, provided a victim statement that focused on the themes of peace and closure. She told the court that while the long process had been overwhelming, the verdict finally provided the resolution her family had sought. “I guess I have been really overwhelmed,” she said. “Here we have been waiting a long time, over 14 years. And I am just glad we have the closure we need, we have peace.” She added that she has found it in her heart to forgive what happened.
The defendant, Salguero-Olivares, reacted audibly as the verdict was read, at one point saying, “It’s not fair.” His mother was seen crying in the gallery as the jury’s decision was announced, concluding a 19-day trial that included exhaustive testimony regarding forensic evidence and the timeline of the investigation.
Prosecutors centered their case on DNA and fingerprint evidence that they argued connected Salguero-Olivares directly to the crime scene at the Hawthorne at the View Apartments on Old Chapel Hill Road. Throughout the trial, defense attorneys countered by questioning the reliability of the decade-old investigation and argued that prosecutors had failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The jury’s deliberations, which began on Thursday, indicated a close examination of the technical evidence. Late Thursday afternoon, the jury requested additional materials, specifically asking for summaries of laboratory reports and fingerprint readings before finishing their deliberations on Friday.
Faith Hedgepeth was a biology major and a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe from Warren County. She grew up in the Hollister community and was discovered by friends in her apartment on the morning of the 2012 attack. Her death by blunt force trauma triggered an investigation that spanned nearly a decade before Salguero-Olivares was taken into custody on September 16, 2021.
During the proceedings, Judge Keith Gregory shared a personal reflection on the impact of the case, noting to Connie Hedgepeth that his own son is just a year younger than Faith and was also a student at UNC-Chapel Hill at the time the murder occurred.
While the guilty verdicts on all counts have been rendered, the legal process is not yet complete. Sentencing for Salguero-Olivares is forthcoming, with court proceedings remaining in progress late Friday to finalize the judicial record.
