Jury Convicts Man of Rape, Murder in 2012 Death of UNC Student Faith Hedgepeth

A jury found Miguel Salguero Olivares guilty of first-degree murder, rape, sexual offense, and burglary on Friday, 14 years after Faith Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sophomore, was killed in her off-campus apartment.

Salguero Olivares was arrested nine years after Hedgepeth's death, in September 2012, when he was pulled over for driving while intoxicated and provided a DNA sample that prosecutors said matched evidence found at the crime scene.

Jurors deliberated for six hours over two days before reaching their verdict. Salguero Olivares, 33, did not testify during the trial, and his defense attorneys presented no witnesses.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder charge, and an additional 45 to 65 years for the other charges.

Hedgepeth's mother, Connie Hedgepeth, told the judge that she had forgiven her daughter's killer shortly after her death. "It was just such a senseless and cruel act, but we have to go on, and we just have to trust God and go on with our lives," she said.

Faith's father, Roland Hedgepeth, echoed her sentiment, stating, "Today it got very real. Nevertheless, I say it without reservation, I forgive Miguel for what he did."

During closing arguments, the defense had argued that investigators had tunnel vision and that Salguero Olivares was falsely accused, suggesting he was a "19-year-old boy" who had consensual sex with Hedgepeth days before her death. Prosecutors, however, urged the jury to focus on the forensic evidence.

"We know who did it. The forensic evidence is screaming his name," said prosecutor Angela Garcia-Lamarca, describing the "uncurable agony" Hedgepeth's family had endured. "He sentenced her to death. He sentenced everybody else who loved her to life. There was no one there to protect her. There was no one there to stop him — until now."

Prosecutors suggested that Salguero Olivares may have attended a barbecue hosted by Hedgepeth's neighbor and, after being rejected, returned later that night. Hedgepeth's roommate, Karena Rosario, testified that she had left the apartment earlier that morning, leaving Hedgepeth alone.

Forensic experts testified that Salguero Olivares' fingerprints and palm print were found on a wine bottle at the scene. His DNA was also found in Hedgepeth's body, on a note on a fast-food bag, and on a blood-covered rum bottle identified as the murder weapon.

The defense questioned the handling of the crime scene and the reliability of some DNA evidence, noting that DNA from sexual intercourse can remain for days. However, special prosecutor Lisa Coltrane countered that the physical evidence, including DNA and fingerprints, did not change and was conclusive.