Suvechha Sarkar
Faith Danielle Hedgepeth was a 19-year-old college sophomore who was working toward a promising future. However, her loved ones faced a massive tragedy when she was brutally killed inside her off-campus apartment in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in September 2012. The circumstances surrounding her death raised troubling questions, which came to the forefront in ABC’s ’20/20: Justice for Faith.’ It further explores the details of the investigation that took years to find the killer. Additionally, the episode features interviews with Faith’s close friends, jury members, and the detectives who played a significant role in cracking the case.
Faith Hedgepeth’s Remains Were Found Just Hours After Her Death
On September 26, 1992, Roland and Connie Hedgepeth welcomed their daughter, Faith Danielle Hedgepeth, into the world. She was born and raised in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and always received the immense love and support of her parents. Growing up, she loved playing and sharing memories with her sister, Rolanda Hedgepeth, and brothers, Caleb and Chadwick Hedgepeth. Faith’s bubbly personality, infectious smile, and lighthearted humor always helped her light up any room she walked into. Besides being a proud part of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe, she also dedicated her life to her faith. She became a member of the Mount Bethel Baptist Church, where she participated in the Youth Choir and Acteens, among others.
After graduating from high school, Faith earned a full scholarship through the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. It helped her enroll at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill to pursue a degree in Biology. She had always aspired to become an elementary school teacher or pediatrician. While studying, she also participated in several events and initiatives, including Renaissance at the UNC, cheerleading, Camp Carolina, Project Uplift, National Honor Society, and Youth Summit Committee. By 2012, Faith was residing at an off-campus apartment in Chapel Hill. On September 6, 2012, she and her roommate, Karena Rosario, visited the UNC library, went to a club, and returned home around 3 am on September 7.
Reports state that Karena then left to meet a friend, but when she returned around 11 am that same day with a friend, they found Faith dead in a pool of blood on her bedroom floor. It prompted Karena and her friend to call 911 immediately. At the scene, officials found Faith leaning against her bed, with blood spatters on the wall and cabinet door. They also noted that her shirt was pulled up and she had no clothes from the waist down. They recovered a Bacardi bottle with traces of blood on it and semen on her remains. Furthermore, investigators discovered a takeout bag on the bed bearing a handwritten message: “I’m not stupid b***h jealous.” The autopsy determined that her cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
Advanced DNA Technology Linked Faith’s Killer to the Crime Scene
During the initial investigation, the experts determined that the DNA from the semen matched another male’s DNA recovered from a separate surface in Faith’s apartment. Detectives first questioned Karena at the scene. According to reports, she told them that she left the apartment to visit a friend around 4:30 am, which was the last time she saw the 19-year-old alive. As the investigation continued, they conducted multiple interviews. Apart from that, the authorities collected and tested hundreds of DNA samples. However, they were unable to find any potential match, either in those specimens or in their records.
According to police records, authorities eventually offered a $40,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer. They further created a computer-generated sketch of the potential killer and released it to the public, but they received no leads for around 9 years. In 2021, the forensic experts finally turned to DNA ancestry technology, which helped them track down the relatives of the unidentified man whose DNA was found at Faith’s apartment. Using data collected through genetic genealogy, officials focused on a man named Miguel Salguero-Olivares.
In September 2021, Miguel was pulled over by the authorities on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Following that, they obtained his DNA sample, which was compared to the DNA found at the crime scene. It reportedly produced a match, linking him to the homicide. According to official reports, experts further determined that the palm print found on another wine bottle at the scene matched Miguel’s left palm. On September 16, 2021, he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was additionally charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree rape, and first-degree sexual offense on October 21, 2024.
Miguel Salguero-Olivares is Incarcerated at a North Carolina Prison Today
After his initial arrest, Miguel was held at the Durham County Detention Facility without bond. His jury trial finally began in October 2026, during which the prosecution presented multiple pieces of forensic evidence to the court. They also called several witnesses, including forensic experts and Faith’s roommate, Karena. The prosecution claimed that Miguel broke into the apartment of a 19-year-old, sexually assaulted her, and then beat her to death. On the other hand, the defense contended that the prosecution had failed to pursue other leads adequately and alleged the presence of additional DNA at the crime scene that had not been fully examined.
The defense argued that the DNA evidence did not conclusively connect Miguel to the crime. After deliberation, the jury found Miguel guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree sexual offense, first-degree rape, and first-degree burglary. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Moreover, he received a sentence of 240 to 348 months in prison for each of the rape and sexual offense charges, and 64 to 89 months for the burglary offense, to be run consecutively. Following that, Miguel’s defense team announced that he planned to appeal his convictions and sentences. As of writing, he is serving his life sentence at the Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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