Jury Convicts Man in 2012 Faith Hedgepeth Murder
A jury found Miguel Salguero Olivares guilty of first-degree murder and rape in the death of a UNC Chapel Hill student.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Sex Crimes
A jury convicted 33-year-old Miguel Salguero Olivares of first-degree murder and rape in the 2012 killing of 19-year-old University of North Carolina student Faith Hedgepeth. The verdict follows a trial where the defendant did not testify.
Why it matters
The conviction brings a legal conclusion to a case that remained unsolved for nine years until DNA evidence linked the defendant to the crime scene. The evidence was gathered after Olivares was pulled over for driving while intoxicated.
A jury reached a verdict after six hours of deliberation. Miguel Salguero Olivares now stands convicted of first-degree murder and rape for the 2012 death of Faith Hedgepeth.
The players
Miguel Salguero Olivares
The 33-year-old defendant was found guilty of first-degree murder and rape.
Faith Hedgepeth
The 19-year-old was a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before her death.
The details
Faith Hedgepeth was 19 years old when she was beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in Chapel Hill. The arrest of the defendant occurred in 2021, nine years after the initial incident.
Timeline
September 2012: Faith Hedgepeth was beaten to death.
2021: Miguel Salguero Olivares was arrested.
October 22, 2026: Defense attorneys delivered closing arguments.
October 23, 2026: Jury convicted Miguel Salguero Olivares.
Legal Context
This conviction marks the legal resolution of the 2012 Faith Hedgepeth murder investigation. It follows a multi-year effort by local authorities to resolve the case using forensic advancements.
The conclusion of this trial provides closure to a case that impacted the University of North Carolina and the wider Chapel Hill community for over a decade. Residents are no longer under an active safety advisory related to this specific cold case.
The takeaway
This case highlights the enduring capability of DNA technology to solve cold cases years after an initial crime. It serves as a reminder of the extended timeline often associated with criminal justice proceedings in complex homicide investigations.
Further reading
Learn more about local investigations in our Sex Crimes section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WTOP.
