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Durham, Durham County

Durham: Jury finds Salguero-Olivares guilty in Faith Hedgepeth killing

Jurors on Friday convicted him of first-degree murder, rape, sexual offense and burglary in the 2012 death of the 19-year-old UNC student. The judge imposed life without parole.

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By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

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File photo: Discover Durham (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • A Durham County jury on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, found Miguel Salguero-Olivares guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree burglary in the September 2012 killing of Faith Hedgepeth.Confirmed by Durham County Superior Court verdict, as reported by WRAL, ABC11, The News & Observer, Spectrum/AP and WPTF
  • Salguero-Olivares is 33. Hedgepeth was 19 and a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Confirmed by Associated Press / Spectrum; The News & Observer; WRAL
  • Hedgepeth was found dead in her off-campus Chapel Hill apartment on Sept. 7, 2012. WRAL has identified the complex as Hawthorne at the View on Old Chapel Hill Road.Confirmed by WRAL; ABC11/AP; Chapel Hill Police Department announcement as reported by WUNC, Sept. 16, 2021
  • Chapel Hill police, working with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, arrested him on Sept. 16, 2021. Assistant Chief Celisa Lehew identified him that day as Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, then 28, of Durham, and said he was charged with first-degree murder.Confirmed by Chapel Hill Police Department, as reported by WUNC, Sept. 16, 2021
  • Then-Attorney General Josh Stein said the 2021 arrest followed a DNA sample that matched evidence collected at the 2012 scene.Confirmed by N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, as reported by WUNC, Sept. 16, 2021
  • He did not testify. His lawyers rested without calling witnesses.Confirmed by WRAL; ABC11; Associated Press / Spectrum; this site's Oct. 21–23 trial coverage
  • Jurors deliberated about six hours over Thursday and Friday before returning the verdict. ABC11's live log said they told the court they had a decision just before 4:30 p.m. Friday.Confirmed by Associated Press / Spectrum; ABC11 live updates, Oct. 23, 2026
  • Judge Keith Gregory sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the murder conviction.Confirmed by WRAL; The News & Observer; Associated Press / Spectrum / ABC11
  • WRAL and The News & Observer, covering the same hearing, reported consecutive added terms of 240 to 348 months (20 to 29 years) on the rape count, 240 to 348 months on the sexual-offense count, and 64 to 89 months (5 years and 4 months to 7 years and 5 months) on the burglary count.Confirmed by WRAL; The News & Observer
  • Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry did not seek the death penalty. N.C. law allows death or life without parole for first-degree murder; G.S. 14-17 names those two punishments.Confirmed by The News & Observer; N.C. General Statute 14-17
  • Jury selection in the Durham trial began Sept. 28, 2026. WRAL wrote that Friday was the 19th day of the trial, including those selection days.Confirmed by WRAL; The News & Observer
  • This site's earlier trial file covered closings, the defense rest, and Friday morning deliberations, when no verdict had yet been returned.Confirmed by Triangle Local, durham-hedgepeth-trial-judge-strikes-sbi-dna-remark

Alleged or reported

  • A DNA sample taken after a 2021 impaired-driving stop matched evidence from the apartment.prosecutors, as reported by the Associated Press, ABC11 and Spectrum
  • Forensic evidence, including DNA and a palm print, tied him to the apartment, and missing or untested items did not erase that testing.prosecutors in Thursday's closing arguments, as reported by WRAL and ABC11

Still unknown

  • Whether a written notice of appeal has been filed. WRAL's later Friday writeup said he is appealing. The News & Observer, ABC11 and Spectrum accounts we read did not independently confirm a filed notice.
  • His class year at UNC. WRAL called Hedgepeth a junior. ABC11, the Associated Press, Spectrum and The News & Observer called her a sophomore. This file does not treat that as settled.
  • The full written judgment, if one is posted

What this means for you

Instructions from Durham County courts

This site is not a court and not an emergency service. For the case file, use Durham County court records. If someone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Durham, a jury on Friday found Miguel Salguero-Olivares guilty of first-degree murder in the 2012 killing of UNC Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth.

The same panel also convicted him of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree burglary. WRAL, ABC11, The News & Observer, Spectrum News with the Associated Press, and WPTF all recorded those four counts.

He is 33. Hedgepeth was 19.

ABC11's later Friday notes said the jurors told the court they had a decision just before 4:30 p.m. The wire and Spectrum put the time in the jury room at about six hours across Thursday and Friday.

The sentence

Judge Keith Gregory imposed life in prison with no chance of parole for the murder conviction. WRAL, the Observer, ABC11's Associated Press account, and Spectrum all reported that term.

WRAL and the Observer, covering the same hearing, listed additional consecutive ranges: 20–29 years for rape, the same span for the sexual-offense conviction, and 5 years and 4 months to 7 years and 5 months for burglary. In months those figures are 240–348, 240–348 and 64–89.

District Attorney Satana Deberry did not ask for a death sentence, the Observer wrote. Under G.S. 14-17, first-degree murder in North Carolina is punished with death or life without parole.

WRAL's later Friday writeup said he is appealing. The Observer, ABC11 and Spectrum pieces we read did not independently confirm a filed notice. This file treats that as unconfirmed.

Earlier coverage

This site's trial file followed closings and Friday morning deliberations, when no verdict had been returned. Wednesday, he told the judge he would not take the stand. His lawyers then rested without calling anyone.

Background

Friends and family waited 14 years for a courtroom ending. Chapel Hill officers, working with the State Bureau of Investigation, arrested him on Sept. 16, 2021. Assistant Chief Celisa Lehew named him that afternoon and said the charge then was first-degree murder. He was 28 and living in Durham.

Then-Attorney General Josh Stein said a DNA sample matched evidence from the 2012 scene. Prosecutors at trial, as the Associated Press, ABC11 and Spectrum later summarized, said that sample came after an impaired-driving stop.

Hedgepeth was found dead in her apartment on Sept. 7, 2012. WRAL has named the complex Hawthorne at the View, on Old Chapel Hill Road. Outlets disagree on whether she was a sophomore or a junior; this story does not choose.

Jury selection began Sept. 28, 2026, in Durham. WRAL counted Friday as day 19 of the trial, including those selection days.

Timeline

  • Friday, Sept. 7, 2012: Hedgepeth, 19, is found in her Chapel Hill apartment. Officials later classified the death as a homicide.
  • Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021: Chapel Hill police announce the arrest.
  • Monday, Sept. 28, 2026: Jury selection begins.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 21: He tells Judge Gregory he will not testify. The defense rests.
  • Thursday, Oct. 22: Closings. The panel starts deciding and is sent home after about two hours.
  • Friday, Oct. 23: Guilty on all four counts. Life without parole on the murder count, plus the consecutive terms listed above.

What we don't know yet

A posted judgment, and whether a notice of appeal is on file, have not been posted on a court page we could read.

What happens next

This site is not a court and not an emergency service. If someone is in danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No courtroom pool photos are used.

Why it matters

A Chapel Hill killing that sat unsolved for nine years now has a Durham verdict and a life sentence. Readers who followed the trial need a clear account of what the jury found, what the judge imposed, and what is still not posted.

Our video on this story

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Updates

  1. Oct 23, 2026, 5:52 PM

    The jury returns guilty verdicts on all four counts. WRAL, The News & Observer and Spectrum/AP report a life sentence without parole on the murder count, plus consecutive terms on the other counts.

  2. Oct 23, 2026, 12:20 PM

    Jurors return Friday after about two hours Thursday. They asked for fingerprint and DNA report summaries. No verdict yet. See this site's earlier trial file.

  3. Sep 16, 2021, 12:00 AM

    Chapel Hill police, working with the SBI, arrest Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, then 28, of Durham.

  4. Sep 7, 2012, 12:00 AM

    Faith Hedgepeth, 19, is found dead in her Chapel Hill apartment.

Sources

  1. Durham County Superior Court verdict and sentence, Oct. 23, 2026, as reported by WRAL: guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree burglary; life without parole on the murder count; 64 to 89 months burglary, 240 to 348 months rape, 240 to 348 months sexual offense, consecutive; WRAL later said he is appealing

    Official sourcePublished by WRAL · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  2. Miguel Salguero Olivares to serve life for murder of UNC student Faith Hedgepeth (The News & Observer, updated 5:37 p.m. Oct. 23, 2026: guilty Friday afternoon of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree burglary; age 33; life without parole; 20 to 29 years rape; 20 to 29 years sexual assault; 5 years 4 months to 7 years 5 months burglary, consecutive; District Attorney Satana Deberry did not seek death; trial began Sept. 28, 2026. This file uses the charging word sexual offense, which WRAL, ABC11 and Spectrum used, not the newspaper's sexual-assault wording.)

    Published by The News & Observer · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  3. Man sentenced to life in prison after guilty verdict in Faith Hedgepeth murder trial (ABC11, Holly Ramer / AP, Oct. 23, 2026: life without parole; age 33; arrested after a DWI stop DNA sample prosecutors say matched the scene; no testimony and no defense witnesses; six hours over two days)

    Published by ABC11 (WTVD) / Associated Press · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  4. Live updates: Jury finds Miguel Olivares guilty of first-degree murder in Faith Hedgepeth death (ABC11, last updated Oct. 23, 2026: just before 4:30 p.m. the panel said it had a verdict; guilty on all four counts)

    Published by ABC11 (WTVD) · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  5. Jury convicts man of rape, murder 14 years after UNC student's death (Spectrum News / Associated Press, updated 5:27 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2026: guilty of murder, rape, sexual offense and burglary; life without possibility of parole shortly after the verdicts; six hours over two days; age 33; DWI-stop DNA account)

    Published by Spectrum News / Associated Press · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  6. BREAKING: Jury reaches verdict in Faith Hedgepeth murder (WPTF / NCN News, 4:44 p.m. Oct. 23, 2026: guilty of first-degree murder, rape, sexual offense and burglary)

    Published by WPTF · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  7. After 9 Years, Chapel Hill Police Announce Arrest Of Durham Suspect In Murder Of UNC Student Faith Hedgepeth (WUNC, Sept. 16, 2021: Chief Chris Blue announced the arrest; Assistant Chief Celisa Lehew identified Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, 28, of Durham, charged with first-degree murder; Attorney General Josh Stein said a DNA sample matched the 2012 scene)

    Published by WUNC · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  8. N.C. General Statute 14-17, murder (first-degree murder is a Class A felony punished with death or life without parole)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina General Assembly · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  9. N.C. General Statute 14-51, first- and second-degree burglary (background on the burglary count)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina General Assembly · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

  10. This site's earlier trial file: closings Thursday, deliberations Friday morning, no verdict yet

    Published by Triangle Local · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 5:50 PM

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