Fourteen years after University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth was found dead, testimony in the murder trial is examining DNA evidence, a rum bottle and disputed investigative procedures. Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, 33, faces charges in Durham County Superior Court over the 2012 killing. The proceedings have included emotional testimony from Hedgepeth’s roommate, forensic evidence about her injuries and questions about physical evidence that investigators could not locate.

The trial is in its second week, with state forensic and medical witnesses scheduled to continue testifying. Prosecutors say genetic genealogy eventually connected Salguero-Olivares to DNA recovered from the scene, while the defense is challenging how evidence was collected, documented and preserved.

The trial revisits Hedgepeth’s final hours

Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old biology major, was killed in September 2012 at an off-campus apartment near Old Chapel Hill Road in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Salguero-Olivares is charged with first-degree murder, rape, sexual offense and burglary. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, but a first-degree murder conviction would carry mandatory life imprisonment without parole, in addition to any sentences imposed for the other charges.

The opening weeks of testimony have covered the condition of the apartment, Hedgepeth’s injuries and the investigation that followed. Graphic photographs and testimony about severe head trauma caused some spectators and jurors to become visibly distressed, and the judge called a recess during testimony about the injuries.

A roommate describes the discovery

Hedgepeth’s roommate, Karena Rosario, testified that she and Hedgepeth studied at a campus library on Sept. 6, 2012, before returning to their apartment and later going to The Thrill nightclub. They returned at about 3:40 a.m. Rosario said she left roughly 45 minutes later to stay with a friend after becoming sick from drinking.

Rosario said Hedgepeth was conscious and breathing when she left. After Hedgepeth did not answer a later call, Rosario returned with friend Marisol Rangel at about 11 a.m. and found Hedgepeth beside her bed. Rosario described blood on the walls, bed and Hedgepeth’s arm.

“I walked around the bed and saw hair. I pulled the comforter down and saw she had a black eye,” Rosario testified.

Genetic genealogy leads to an arrest

Investigators collected hundreds of DNA samples from people connected to Hedgepeth, but none initially matched the crime-scene evidence. Authorities later used genetic genealogy, which compares crime-scene DNA with profiles in public ancestry databases, to develop a lead involving Salguero-Olivares.

The case moved forward after police stopped Salguero-Olivares during a suspected impaired-driving stop in Wake County on Sept. 16, 2021. After obtaining a DNA sample, authorities charged him in Hedgepeth’s killing. Prosecutors later added the rape, sexual offense and burglary allegations. The defense disputes the reliability of the investigation and has questioned how physical evidence was handled.

Prosecutors present the physical evidence

Prosecutors presented items recovered from the bedroom, including a 1.75-liter Bacardi rum bottle, a wine bottle and a crumpled Time-Out restaurant biscuit bag. They identified the rum bottle as the weapon used to strike Hedgepeth’s head. A forensic technician testified about the injuries and displayed the bottle to jurors.

Investigators also found a handwritten message on the fast-food bag containing profanity and the words, “I’m not stupid, b—-. Jealous.” Prosecutors told the jury that Salguero-Olivares’ DNA was found on both the bag and the rum bottle.

“When I put my hands on her head, I could feel where the side of her head was very soft. It was indented,” forensic technician Tamika Price testified.

The defense challenges evidence handling

Defense attorney James J. Rainsford questioned investigators about the collection and preservation of evidence during the 2012 investigation. Price acknowledged that processing mistakes occurred and said she was still in training at the time.

The defense asked why investigators did not photograph the rum bottle before collecting it and why additional items in the apartment were not taken into evidence. It also focused on a swab collected from a reddish stain on a bathroom doorframe. An initial test suggested the stain could be blood, but the swab could not be found for additional laboratory testing.

Retired forensic specialist Sheleathea Quick said she remembered investigators collecting and boxing the swab but did not know what happened to it. Quick testified that staff searched the evidence locker, a truck and the laboratory without finding it. Testimony from state forensic and medical experts is scheduled to continue Tuesday morning.

Summary

The trial is weighing DNA evidence and testimony about the items recovered from Hedgepeth’s apartment against defense claims that investigators made significant evidence-handling errors. The outcome will depend on how jurors assess the genetic evidence, the physical items, witness testimony and the missing swab. Further forensic and medical testimony is expected as the case continues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is on trial in the case?

Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, 33, is on trial in Durham County Superior Court.

What evidence is central to the proceedings?

Key evidence includes DNA allegedly linked to Salguero-Olivares, a Bacardi rum bottle prosecutors identify as the weapon, a handwritten note and other items recovered from the apartment.

What issue is the defense raising?

The defense is questioning how investigators collected and preserved evidence, including why the rum bottle was not photographed before collection and why a swab from a bathroom-door stain cannot be located.

What penalty could follow a murder conviction?

Because prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, a first-degree murder conviction would result in mandatory life imprisonment without parole, along with possible additional sentences for the other charges.

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