Justice for Faith: The Murder of Faith Hedgepeth and the Breakthrough That Solved It
On the morning of Sept. 7, 2012, 19‑year‑old Faith Hedgepeth was found bloodied and unconscious in an off‑campus apartment near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and the case would become one of the most haunting unsolved mysteries in the region for more than a decade.
The Night of the Murder
On the evening of Sept. 6, 2012, Hedgepeth and her roommate Karena Rosario went to a nightclub called “The Thrill.” They returned to their apartment shortly after 2 a.m. Rosario later told investigators she felt ill, left the apartment around 4:25 a.m., and was picked up by a friend, Jordan McCrary. When she returned in the morning, she discovered Hedgepeth on the bed, naked from the waist down, her shirt pulled over her head, and unresponsive.
Police responded to Rosario’s 911 call and pronounced Hedgepeth dead. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, and investigators believed the weapon was a Bacardi bottle found in the bedroom. Evidence suggested she had been sexually assaulted, and a note written on a takeout bag was found at the scene, reading, “I’m not stupid, b—-, jealous.”
A Community in Shock
Hedgepeth was a member of the Haliwa‑Saponi Indian Tribe and grew up in the remote town of Hollister, North Carolina. Friends and family described her as intelligent, energetic, and deeply involved in her community. Her father, Roland Hedgepeth, said, “She was a godsend in my life. She gave me a reason to want to live.”
The tragedy sent shockwaves through the tight‑knit indigenous community and the broader Chapel Hill area. More than 1,800 people were investigated as possible suspects, but for years the case remained cold.
The Long Investigation
For 14 years, detectives chased thousands of tips and leads. “We spent an exorbitant amount of time chasing every lead and every tip because that’s all we had in the moment,” said Celisa Lehew, chief of the Chapel Hill Police Department.
DNA Breakthrough
In 2021, a new forensic technique called single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis allowed investigators to use genetic genealogy to trace the DNA profile found at the crime scene. The analysis indicated the DNA belonged to an individual of Latino ancestry.
Genetic Genealogy and the Arrest
Combining the genetic clues with a photograph discovered on social media, authorities identified a suspect: Miguel Salguero‑Olivares, who was 19 at the time of Hedgepeth’s death. In September 2021, police arrested him after collecting his DNA and matching it to the crime‑scene sample. He denied ever knowing Hedgepeth.
Trial and Verdict
Salguero‑Olivares’s trial began in September 2022. He pleaded not guilty. The defense argued that Rosario might have been involved, pointing to a red substance on her hand the morning of the murder, which she said was vomit from drinking red slushies. Prosecutors countered with DNA evidence and handwriting analysis linking the note to Salguero‑Olivares.
The jury found him guilty of first‑degree murder, rape, sexual offense, and burglary. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus additional time for the other convictions. His defense announced plans to appeal.
Legacy and Memorial
Hedgepeth’s family, friends, and community remember her for her boundless energy and joy. The “Faith’s Smile Memorial Scholarship” is awarded each year to Native American freshmen entering a four‑year university. She is also honored by the MMIW Memorial Grove, which raises awareness of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls epidemic.
“I remember her just bein’ so lively, just bouncin’ all over the place,” her mother, Connie Hedgepeth, said. “Somebody robbed me of that. I miss just feelin’ alive when you’re around her.”
The case will be featured in a new “20/20” episode titled “Justice for Faith,” airing Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
News, Society, Law, People, Government, Education, Communities, Crime, Murder, DNA, Genetic genealogy, Indigenous, University, North Carolina
