Trial Begins for Man Accused in 2012 Killing of UNC Student

The trial of Miguel Salguero Olivares, accused of the 2012 murder of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth, commenced Wednesday. Prosecutors opened their case by asserting that the defendant left his DNA at the crime scene, on the murder weapon, and on a note found in the victim's apartment, suggesting the killing occurred during a fit of rage by a stranger.

Hedgepeth, 19, was discovered beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. Assistant District Attorney Angela Garcia-Lamarca told the jury that DNA evidence placed the defendant at the scene, including on a blood-covered rum bottle identified as the murder weapon, and on a note written on a fast-food bag. The note contained the message, “I’m Not Stupid (expletive) Jealous.”

Garcia-Lamarca described Hedgepeth as a dedicated student on track to be the first in her family to graduate from college. The prosecutor contended that the crime was not personal but driven by the defendant's nature, stating, "He didn’t do this to her because of who she was, he did it because of who he is."

According to the prosecution, Hedgepeth had been the designated driver for herself and her roommate on the night of the murder. The roommate was picked up by a friend early in the morning, and upon returning hours later, discovered Hedgepeth dead. A downstairs neighbor reported hearing loud thumps between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. that morning.

Defense attorney James Rainsford, however, argued that the prosecution had omitted crucial details and urged jurors to consider if the evidence presented was complete. He highlighted that the friend who picked up Hedgepeth's roommate reported seeing what appeared to be blood on the roommate's hands. The defense also pointed to evidence of blood in the apartment's bathroom that police later lost.

Salguero Olivares was arrested in 2021, more than nine years after Hedgepeth's death. His arrest followed a DNA match between a profile found at the original crime scene and a sample submitted to the state crime lab by the State Bureau of Investigation and Chapel Hill Police Department.

Rainsford questioned the significance of the DNA evidence, stating, "Finding something doesn’t mean a crime occurred. You have to connect them. It doesn’t mean what you think." He suggested that what might appear as noise to some could be interpreted as forensic evidence by others and implied that the presented evidence did not add up.

The prosecutor concluded her opening statement by referencing the note and drawing a parallel between male fear of female rejection and female fear of violence, suggesting a motive rooted in the defendant's perceived jealousy and fear of being ridiculed.

Salguero Olivares faces charges including first-degree murder, rape, and burglary.