Court Hands Life Sentence to Man Who Killed UNC Student in 2012

A North Carolina man received a life sentence without the possibility of parole on October 28, 2026, for the 2012 murder of University of North Carolina sophomore Faith Hedgepeth. The verdict concludes a legal battle that lasted over a decade. The judge imposed the primary sentence for first-degree murder and added time for convictions of rape, sexual offense, and burglary.

Hedgepeth, who was 19 at the time of her death, was found dead in an off-campus apartment in Chapel Hill on September 7, 2012. Police determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators identified a Bacardi bottle in the bedroom as the likely weapon. The victim was found on a bed, unconscious and bloody, with her shirt pulled over her head.

For 14 years, the Chapel Hill Police Department searched for the perpetrator. Chief Celisa Lehew stated that investigators received thousands of tips and leads. She noted that the department spent a substantial amount of time chasing every clue because they had no other options. More than 1,800 people were considered possible suspects during the investigation.

The case advanced in 2021 through the application of single nucleotide polymorphism, or SNP, DNA technology. This method allowed investigators to use genetic genealogy to trace family ties to the DNA left at the crime scene. The technology also provided information on physical attributes that aligned with the sample. Investigators concluded the DNA linked to an individual of Latino ancestry.

Police identified Miguel Salguero-Olivares as the suspect. He was also 19 years old when Hedgepeth died. Authorities arrested him in September 2021 after collecting his DNA and matching it to the crime scene sample. Salguero-Olivares told investigators he did not know the victim. He pleaded not guilty when his trial began in September 2026.

The defense team focused on Hedgepeth's roommate, Karena Rosario. They argued that Rosario knew more about the night of the murder than she disclosed. The defense pointed to a red substance on Rosario's hand when she met a friend, Jordan McCrary, at 4:25 a.m. The defense claimed the substance was blood. Rosario stated it was vomit, noting she had been drinking red slushies that evening.

Prosecutors countered by presenting DNA evidence and handwriting analysis. They indicated that the writing on a takeout bag found in the bedroom matched Salguero-Olivares's hand. The note on the bag read, "I'm not stupid, b, jealous." Salguero-Olivares chose not to testify. His legal team did not present any evidence during the trial proceedings.

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all four counts. The defense team announced plans to appeal the decision. Hedgepeth's family described her as a vital part of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe community in Hollister, North Carolina. Her father, Roland Hedgepeth, said she gave him a reason to want to live.

The community continues to honor Hedgepeth through the Faith's Smile Memorial Scholarship. This award goes to Native American youth who are incoming freshmen at four-year universities. The MMIW Memorial Grove also recognizes her memory as part of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls epidemic. Her mother, Connie Hedgepeth, said the loss robbed her of feeling alive.

The case drew national attention through a new episode of the television program "20/20." The segment, titled "Justice for Faith," aired on October 30. It details the investigation and the personal toll on the family. The episode is available on streaming platforms the day after its broadcast.