ABC’s 20/20: “Justice for Faith” airs Friday, Oct. 30, revisiting the case after the recent verdict.
Faith Danielle Hedgepeth was 19 years old, studying biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and working toward a future in medicine. A member of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe, Faith hoped to become a pediatrician and eventually return home to care for children in her community. In September 2012, that future was taken from her.
Faith’s final night
On September 6, 2012, Faith attended a sorority event, studied at UNC’s Davis Library, and later went to a Chapel Hill nightclub with her roommate, Karina Rosario. The two returned to the Durham apartment they were temporarily sharing in the early hours of September 7. Karina later left the apartment, and when she returned with a friend later that morning, they found Faith in her bedroom.
Faith had been beaten to death. Investigators recovered a Bacardi rum bottle they believed was used in the attack, along with other physical evidence in the room. They also found a handwritten message on a Time Out takeout bag. The note raised questions for years, but investigators could not determine who wrote it or exactly what it meant.
A case that waited years for answers
Investigators developed an unknown male DNA profile from evidence recovered in the apartment and from Faith’s sexual assault examination. But despite hundreds of DNA comparisons and years of interviews, the profile did not initially lead to an arrest.
In September 2021, Chapel Hill police announced that they had arrested Miguel Salguero Olivares, then 28, and charged him with Faith’s murder. Investigators had used genetic genealogy to identify relatives connected to the unknown DNA profile, then narrowed their search to Olivares. Prosecutors later added charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense, and first-degree burglary.
The 2026 verdict
Faith’s case finally reached trial in October 2026, more than 14 years after her death. Prosecutors pointed to DNA recovered from Faith’s body and items in the bedroom, along with a palm print identified on a wine bottle. The defense challenged parts of the investigation and raised questions about evidence that was never tested or preserved.
On October 23, 2026, a jury found Miguel Salguero Olivares guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense, and first-degree burglary. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Faith’s family waited a long time for that verdict. Her story is a reminder of both the damage left by an unsolved murder and the role evolving DNA technology can play in bringing a case forward years later.
Listen to our full episode on Faith Hedgepeth here.
