Chapel Hill / Durham, North Carolina · September 7, 2012 A 19-year-old UNC student found dead in her apartment; nine years to an arrest; and a trial — underway now — that will decide what the evidence proves. This file documents the record.
SUBJECT: FAITH HEDGEPETH — CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA
Trial Underway · Durham County
🚶 Walk the File
Follow the case the way the record holds it — a student's last night in 2012, nine years of an unidentified DNA profile, an arrest built on genealogy, and a trial now underway in Durham County.
15 pages · September 2012 → October 2026 · every page sourced
This file carries no photograph of Faith Hedgepeth
CrowdSleuth publishes photographs only from official releases, family releases, public records, or licensed sources — so this file shows the places, not the person. Photographs of Faith are her family's and the news outlets'; none is published here. If her family shares one for this file, it will be added with their credit.
The case A UNC-Chapel Hill student found dead in her off-campus apartment on the Chapel Hill–Durham line, Friday, September 7, 2012 Faith Hedgepeth 19 · third-year student at UNC-Chapel Hill · Gates Millennium Scholar · an enrolled member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe · raised in Warren County, North Carolina Cause of death Blunt-force trauma to the head (death certificate) The nine years An unidentified male DNA profile from the scene; two men investigated in the early years were cleared by DNA; a phenotype image of the DNA source was released in 2016 The arrest September 16, 2021 — Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, arrested after identification through investigative genetic genealogy and charged with first-degree murder; first-degree burglary, first-degree rape, and first-degree sexual-offense counts added November 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to every count The trial Durham County Superior Court, Judge Keith Gregory presiding · jury seated · opening statements October 7, 2026 · the defendant is presumed innocent · no verdict as of October 14, 2026
Faith Hedgepeth
Faith Danielle Hedgepeth was born on September 26, 1992, and was raised by her mother, Connie, in Hollister and Warrenton, in Warren County, North Carolina. An enrolled member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe and a Gates Millennium Scholar, she was 19 and in her third year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, hoping to be the first in her family to graduate from college. She lived off campus, at the Hawthorne at the View apartments on the Chapel Hill–Durham line, with her roommate, Karena Rosario.
On Thursday, September 6, 2012, she attended a sorority rush event, studied with Rosario at Davis Library, came home around midnight, and went out again to a Chapel Hill nightclub; security cameras recorded the two leaving at 2:06 a.m. The next morning, Rosario returned to the apartment and found her dead in her bedroom. The death certificate records the cause of death as blunt-force trauma to the head. Investigators found a handwritten note on a torn takeout bag and developed an unidentified male DNA profile from the scene. Rewards were posted, the FBI profiled the unknown man, men in her orbit were tested and cleared, and in 2016 a laboratory's rendering of the DNA source's likely ancestry was broadcast nationally. The case remained unsolved for nine years.
On September 16, 2021, Chapel Hill police arrested Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, then 28, of Durham — identified, investigators say, through investigative genetic genealogy. He was charged with first-degree murder; in November 2024 the indictment was amended to add first-degree burglary, first-degree rape, and first-degree sexual-offense counts. He has pleaded not guilty to every count and is presumed innocent. Prosecutors' court filings state that the scene DNA and a palm print on a bottle found in the apartment match him; his defense answers that the state has not proven he is the killer and points to evidence investigators never tested. His trial opened in Durham County Superior Court in the fall of 2026 and continues as of October 14, 2026; there is no verdict. This file records the proceedings as testimony and argument — attributed to the side making them, and unfinished.
The timeline — full text
Thursday, September 6, 2012 — her last dayHedgepeth spends the day in the ordinary rhythm of the fall term: a rush event for the Alpha Pi Omega sorority, then the evening studying with her roommate, Karena Rosario, at Davis Library from about 8 p.m. The two are home around midnight. — The Daily Tar Heel, timeline of the last night, Oct. 25, 2012 READ ARTICLE
Friday, September 7, 2012 — 12:40 to 2:06 a.m.Later, the two go out to The Thrill, a nightclub in Chapel Hill. Security cameras record them leaving at 2:06 a.m. — the last visual record of Hedgepeth alive. — The Daily Tar Heel, Oct. 25, 2012 READ ARTICLE
About 3:00 to 4:25 a.m.Back at the apartment at Hawthorne at the View, a downstairs neighbor later reports hearing three thumping noises shortly after 3 a.m. At 3:40 a.m. a text is sent from Hedgepeth's phone to Brandon Edwards, Rosario's former boyfriend, with a one-word follow-up — "than" — three minutes later; Edwards texts back at 4:16 a.m. asking who had sent them. Around the same period, Rosario's phone calls Edwards, then Jordan McCrary. At 4:25 a.m. Rosario leaves with McCrary, believing Hedgepeth asleep; the apartment door is left unlocked. — The Daily Tar Heel, Oct. 25, 2012 READ ARTICLE; ABC News READ ARTICLE
About 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 7, 2012Rosario returns to the apartment with Marisol Rangel. They find Hedgepeth dead in her bedroom and call 911. She was found partially unclothed, and an empty liquor bottle was found in the apartment. Her death certificate records the cause of death as blunt-force trauma to the head. — ABC News, Sept. 22, 2016 READ ARTICLE
September 2012 — the note and the DNAInvestigators find a note handwritten in ballpoint on the torn bottom of a white takeout bag, believed to be from the Time-Out restaurant. As the record transcribes it, its five words read: "I'M NOT STUPID BITCH / JEALOUS." Male DNA is collected at the scene, and an unidentified male profile is developed. Within days, reward offers total $29,000 — from the university, Crime Stoppers, her tribe, and the apartment complex. — ABC News, Sept. 22, 2016 READ ARTICLE
November 2012Governor Bev Perdue adds $10,000 in state reward money to the $29,000 already offered. Tips come in; no arrest follows. — ABC News, Sept. 22, 2016 READ ARTICLE
January 2013Police announce that the DNA from the scene is male. The FBI develops a behavioral profile of the then-unknown source: investigators say he likely had lived near her, had expressed interest in her, and that his behavior may have changed after her death. — ABC News, Sept. 22, 2016 READ ARTICLE
July – September 2014By court order, investigative records that had been kept sealed are unsealed in July 2014. The autopsy report is released in September 2014. — Court order unsealing the records, July 2014; autopsy report released Sept. 2014
Friday, September 23, 2016ABC's 20/20 airs a phenotype image produced by Parabon NanoLabs from the scene DNA: the source was very likely of mixed Native American/European or Latino ancestry. The broadcast returns the case to national attention, four years on. — ABC News, Sept. 22, 2016 READ ARTICLE
2016 — the pocket-dial recordingThe 20/20 reporting also discusses a roughly three-minute pocket-dialed phone recording, timestamped 1:23 a.m., that a friend had shared. An audio expert hired by the program interpreted the voices on it as capturing an argument connected to the killing.UNVERIFIED Police dispute that reading: investigators say the timestamp and the background music indicate the recording was made at the nightclub, not during the killing. — ABC News, Sept. 22, 2016 READ ARTICLE
Thursday, September 16, 2021 — an arrest, nine years onChapel Hill police arrest Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, 28, of Durham. Investigators say he was identified through investigative genetic genealogy; a confirmatory DNA sample was obtained after his arrest on a drunken-driving charge in Wake County the month before. He is charged with first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty, and he is presumed innocent. Two men from the early investigation — Eriq Takoy Jones and Brandon Edwards — had already been cleared by DNA testing; others at the club were also tested and did not match. — News & Observer, Sept. 16, 2021 READ ARTICLE
January 2022In court documents, prosecutors state that the DNA collected at the scene and a palm print on the bottle found in the apartment match Salguero-Olivares. These are the state's filings — what prosecutors contend the evidence shows, to be tested at trial, not findings of any court. — Prosecutors' court filings, Jan. 2022, as reported by the News & Observer READ ARTICLE
Thursday, November 14, 2024The indictment is amended to add first-degree burglary, first-degree rape, and first-degree sexual offense. Salguero-Olivares pleads not guilty to every count, and remains presumed innocent. — ABC11, Nov. 14, 2024 READ ARTICLE
September 28 – October 7, 2026 — the trial opensJury selection begins Monday, September 28, in Durham County Superior Court, Judge Keith Gregory presiding; 12 jurors and 4 alternates are seated. A pretrial ruling limits the defense from broadly arguing a third party's guilt without first raising the issue outside the jury's presence. Opening statements follow on Wednesday, October 7. Prosecutors tell jurors the DNA and the palm print place Salguero-Olivares at the scene, and that he did not know Hedgepeth. Defense attorney James Rainsford tells jurors the state has not proven his client is the killer beyond a reasonable doubt, pointing to items investigators never tested — a hand towel, the washer and dryer, a bathroom trash can — and to the handling of evidence. — Associated Press, Oct. 7, 2026 READ ARTICLE
October 13–14, 2026 — testimony continuesRosario testified for the state in the trial's first days. Jurors have seen SBI body-camera video of agents interviewing Salguero-Olivares, in which — per testimony — he said he did not recognize Hedgepeth and did not know her. The lead Chapel Hill investigator, Capt. Johnnie Britt, testified and was cross-examined on day 12, Tuesday, October 13. As of October 14, 2026, testimony continues and there is no verdict; the trial is expected to last several weeks. — 9th Street Journal, trial live blog READ LIVE BLOG
The unverified record — one disputed interpretation
Nearly everything in this file comes from officials, court records, or reporting of court proceedings. One widely repeated item stands apart: a television program's hired expert and his interpretation of a pocket-dialed phone recording, which investigators dispute. It is recorded here, credited to its source, because it shaped public understanding of the case — it is not an established fact, and it carries the file's one UNVERIFIED stamp in the timeline.
The pocket-dial recordingA roughly three-minute recording, timestamped 1:23 a.m., that a friend had shared was discussed in ABC's 20/20 reporting in 2016. An audio expert hired by the program interpreted the voices on it as capturing an argument connected to the killing. Police dispute that reading: investigators say the timestamp and the background music indicate the recording was made at the nightclub, not during the killing. No court or investigator has adopted the expert's interpretation. — ABC News, Sept. 22, 2016
Public statements — who has said what, on the record
Chapel Hill Police Department · the arrest, September 16, 2021Announcing an arrest nine years after the killing, the department said the community had never forgotten Hedgepeth and that her family deserved answers, and it presented the arrest as the product of years of investigative work together with the new genetic-genealogy methods. — News & Observer, Sept. 16, 2021 READ ARTICLE
The prosecution · opening statement, October 7, 2026Prosecutors told jurors that the DNA collected at the scene and a palm print on the bottle found in the apartment place Salguero-Olivares in that apartment, and that he did not know Hedgepeth. That is the state's contention; the defense contests it, and the jury has not decided. — Associated Press, Oct. 7, 2026 READ ARTICLE
The defense · opening statement, October 7, 2026Defense attorney James Rainsford told jurors that the state has not proven his client is the killer beyond a reasonable doubt, and he pointed to items investigators never tested — a hand towel, the washer and dryer, a bathroom trash can — and to the handling of evidence. — Associated Press, Oct. 7, 2026 READ ARTICLE
Statements are summarized in CrowdSleuth's words except where quotation marks are shown. In an active trial, a statement is a position taken by one side, or by officials — it is not a finding.
People in the record
Faith Hedgepeth· 19 · third-year student at UNC-Chapel Hill · Gates Millennium Scholar · enrolled member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe
Her family Connie Hedgepeth · her mother, of Warren County — the family's public voice since 2012
The apartment Karena Rosario · her roommate — found her on the morning of September 7, 2012, and testified for the state at trial; she has never been charged with anything · Jordan McCrary · who Rosario left the apartment with at 4:25 a.m. · Marisol Rangel · who returned to the apartment with Rosario that morning
Cleared by DNA Eriq Takoy Jones · an early person of interest · Brandon Edwards · Rosario's former boyfriend— investigators tested both men; neither matched the DNA profile from the scene
The defendant Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares · 28 at his arrest in 2021, of Durham · charged with first-degree murder in 2021, with first-degree burglary, first-degree rape, and first-degree sexual-offense counts added in 2024 · he has pleaded not guilty to every count and is presumed innocent · on trial in Durham County
The court Judge Keith Gregory · presiding, Durham County Superior Court · James Rainsford · defense attorney · Capt. Johnnie Britt · lead Chapel Hill investigator; testified and was cross-examined at trial
The records — where each stands
Autopsy report — released in September 2014; the death certificate records blunt-force trauma to the head as the cause of death. Status: RELEASED — SEPT. 2014
Sealed investigative records — unsealed by court order in July 2014. Status: UNSEALED — JULY 2014
Scene DNA profile — the unidentified male profile developed in 2012. Prosecutors state it was identified in 2021 as matching the defendant; that identification is part of what the trial is testing. Status: IDENTIFIED 2021 — PER PROSECUTORS; CONTESTED AT TRIAL
Trial exhibits — including SBI body-camera video of agents interviewing the defendant, being presented as testimony proceeds. Status: BEING PRESENTED AT TRIAL
Verdict — none. Testimony continues, and the trial is expected to last several weeks. Status: NONE — TRIAL ONGOING
Documents & reporting
The arrest
News & Observer — the arrest, Sept. 16, 2021 — Chapel Hill police announce the arrest of Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, identified through investigative genetic genealogy. He pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. READ ARTICLE
Wikipedia — case overview — a general overview of the case, for orientation; the file above rests on the reporting and records listed here. OPEN RECORD
The trial is still producing the record. If you hold a document this file lacks — a filing, a ruling, a transcript — the "Add to This Case" button below exists for exactly that.
Watch & listen
🎙️ ABC's 20/20 (September 23, 2016). The broadcast that aired the Parabon NanoLabs phenotype image and the reporting on the pocket-dial recording; ABC News' written account is linked in Documents & reporting above. Read →
🎙️ 9th Street Journal — trial live blog. Day-by-day coverage of the Durham County trial as testimony proceeds. Follow →
CrowdSleuth links to recordings and videos; it does not copy or re-host them.
How to read this file: A trial is underway in this case, and no jury has decided anything. Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares has pleaded not guilty to every count and is presumed innocent. What prosecutors argue and what the defense argues are both recorded in this file as arguments, attributed to the side making them — they are not findings, and CrowdSleuth draws no conclusion about them. This file will be updated when the jury speaks.
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Case File 017 · Faith Hedgepeth
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