“Justice for Faith”: 20/20 Reports on Faith Hedgepeth Homicide October 30 2026

ABC’s 20/20 examines the murder of University of North Carolina student Faith Hedgepeth in “Justice for Faith,” a new episode airing Friday, October 30, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET (9/8c) on ABC. The two-hour true crime programme revisits the killing of a 19-year-old college student whose death in September 2012 left investigators searching for answers for nine years and whose family waited more than 14 years for a murder conviction.

The episode arrives one week after a North Carolina jury found Miguel Salguero-Olivares guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree burglary. On October 23, 2026, the 33-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, plus additional prison terms totalling 45 to 65 years.

Featuring exclusive interviews with jurors, investigators and Hedgepeth’s closest friends, “Justice for Faith” explores the evidence that led police to Salguero-Olivares, the competing arguments presented during his trial and the impact of the verdict on a family that spent more than a decade seeking justice.

• Who Was Faith Hedgepeth & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Is Miguel Salguero-Olivares & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile

Who Was Faith Hedgepeth?

Faith Danielle Hedgepeth was born on September 26, 1992, and grew up in the Hollister community of North Carolina. A member of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe, she was raised by her mother, Connie Hedgepeth, and maintained close relationships with her father, Roland, her siblings and her extended family.

An accomplished student, Hedgepeth earned a Gates Millennium Scholarship and an Alston-Pleasants Scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She studied biology and hoped to pursue a career in medicine, with an interest in becoming a paediatrician. She also hoped to become the first member of her family to graduate from college.

At UNC, Hedgepeth participated in the Carolina Indian Circle and volunteered at the American Indian Center. She had an interest in Alpha Pi Omega, a sorority founded to support Native American women in higher education. On September 6, 2012, the evening before her death, she attended a recruitment event for the organisation.

Her academic achievements and involvement in Indigenous student life made her a valued member of the university community. Following her death, Alpha Pi Omega inducted Hedgepeth as an honorary member in 2013, recognising her life and raising awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

The Final Hours Before Faith Hedgepeth’s Murder

On Thursday, September 6, 2012, Hedgepeth attended an Alpha Pi Omega recruitment event at approximately 5:45 p.m. She left around 7:15 p.m. to work on an academic paper concerning the history of her tribe. At approximately 8 p.m., she met her roommate and friend, Karena Rosario, at UNC’s Davis Library.

The two women studied before returning to their apartment at the Hawthorne at the View complex, near the Chapel Hill-Durham boundary. Hedgepeth was staying with Rosario while awaiting financial aid that would allow her to move into another residence.

After midnight, the women changed clothes and travelled to The Thrill, a nightclub in downtown Chapel Hill. Surveillance footage showed them arriving at approximately 12:40 a.m. on September 7. Rosario told investigators that she began feeling sick after consuming alcohol, prompting the pair to leave.

Security cameras recorded the women leaving the nightclub at 2:06 a.m. Additional footage captured them inside Hedgepeth’s vehicle at approximately 2:38 a.m. They returned to the apartment around 2:50 a.m., where Rosario said she became sick and Hedgepeth helped care for her.

During the following hour, the women exchanged messages with acquaintances. At approximately 3:40 a.m., a message from Hedgepeth’s phone asked a mutual friend, Brandon Edwards, to come to the apartment because Rosario needed him. A second message corrected a word in the original text.

At 4:25 a.m., Rosario left the apartment with another acquaintance, UNC soccer player Jordan McCrary. She testified that she believed Hedgepeth was asleep in the bedroom when she departed. Rosario said she left the apartment door unlocked.

Those final hours became a central focus of the investigation and trial. Prosecutors and defence attorneys examined the timing of the women’s movements, their communications, the condition of the apartment and the evidence left behind.

The Discovery of Faith Hedgepeth’s Body

On the morning of September 7, Rosario attempted to contact Hedgepeth but received no response. She arranged for another friend, Marisol Rangel, to take her back to the apartment.

At approximately 11 a.m., the two women entered the residence and discovered Hedgepeth’s body in the bedroom. She was partially unclothed, had suffered extensive injuries and was surrounded by evidence of a violent attack. Rosario contacted emergency services.

Investigators determined that Hedgepeth had died from blunt-force trauma to the head. The medical examination documented extensive skull fractures, injuries to her face and head, and bruising to her arms and legs. Evidence of sexual assault was also recovered.

A blood-covered rum bottle found in the apartment became a central piece of evidence. Investigators believed the bottle had been used to inflict the fatal injuries. Forensic testing identified biological material and impressions that would become significant in the prosecution’s case.

The discovery prompted a homicide investigation involving Chapel Hill police, forensic specialists and other law enforcement agencies. The circumstances of the killing, the condition of the scene and the presence of unidentified male DNA presented investigators with a complex case.

The Evidence Found Inside the Apartment

Investigators recovered several pieces of physical evidence from the apartment, including biological samples, fingerprints, a rum bottle, a wine bottle and a handwritten message on a white paper takeout bag.

The message, found near Hedgepeth’s body, contained the words “I’M NOT STUPID,” “BITCH” and “JEALOUS.” Its meaning became a subject of scrutiny as investigators attempted to determine whether it reflected the attacker’s motive or had another purpose.

Forensic scientists developed a male DNA profile from biological material recovered from Hedgepeth’s body. Additional male DNA was identified on objects inside the apartment, including the paper bag and the bottle associated with the killing.

Investigators also recovered fingerprints and a palm impression. Years later, forensic comparisons linked Salguero-Olivares to a wine bottle and the suspected murder weapon. These findings became part of the evidence presented to jurors in October 2026.

Other evidence raised questions about the crime scene investigation. A sample taken from a possible bloodstain near the bathroom doorway was reported missing. Investigators also examined a bloodstain inside McCrary’s vehicle, although testing did not establish whose blood it was.

These unresolved forensic issues became part of the defence’s challenge to the prosecution’s case. Attorneys questioned whether the evidence had been collected and preserved with sufficient care and whether investigators had examined all possible explanations.

Why the Faith Hedgepeth Murder Remained Unsolved for Nine Years

Despite recovering a male DNA profile, police were unable to identify a matching suspect during the initial investigation. Investigators interviewed hundreds of people, collected DNA samples and examined Hedgepeth’s relationships and movements before her death.

Attention focused on people connected to Hedgepeth and Rosario, including individuals who had been involved in disputes with them. One person investigated was Rosario’s former boyfriend, Eriq Takoy Jones, whose relationship with Rosario had involved allegations of domestic violence and threats.

Investigators obtained DNA samples from Jones and other individuals. The testing excluded Jones as the source of the male DNA recovered from the crime scene. He was not charged in Hedgepeth’s murder.

The investigation also faced criticism over the handling of evidence and the decision to keep court records sealed. News organisations challenged the restrictions, arguing that the public had an interest in understanding how police were investigating the killing.

Records released in 2014 provided further details about the crime scene, the final hours of Hedgepeth’s life and the evidence collected by police. The disclosures generated renewed public attention, but the identity of the person responsible remained unknown.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation became involved in the case, while Chapel Hill police continued examining leads. The case attracted national true crime coverage, including an earlier 20/20 investigation in September 2016.

During that programme, authorities released a computer-generated facial prediction developed from DNA evidence by Parabon NanoLabs. The technology estimated physical characteristics associated with the unidentified DNA profile, offering investigators another potential means of identifying a suspect.

Although the investigation produced leads, no arrest followed until September 2021.

How Genetic Genealogy Led Police to Miguel Salguero-Olivares

A breakthrough came through investigative genetic genealogy, a technique that uses genetic information to identify possible relatives of an unknown DNA contributor.

Investigators examined the DNA profile recovered from Hedgepeth’s body and other evidence, seeking connections to people whose genetic information could help establish family relationships. The process led authorities to distant relatives associated with Miguel Salguero-Olivares.

According to court documents and trial reporting, investigators interviewed relatives and obtained additional DNA samples. The information helped narrow the search to Salguero-Olivares, who had been 19 years old when Hedgepeth was killed.

In August 2021, Salguero-Olivares was stopped in an unrelated driving-while-impaired investigation. Authorities obtained a DNA sample that prosecutors said matched evidence recovered from Hedgepeth’s murder scene.

On September 16, 2021, Chapel Hill police announced his arrest on a first-degree murder charge. He was 28 at the time and living in Durham, North Carolina.

The arrest marked the first major resolution in an investigation that had remained open for nine years. It also shifted attention toward the forensic evidence and whether prosecutors could establish that Salguero-Olivares had committed the murder, sexual assault and unlawful entry.

Who Is Miguel Salguero-Olivares?

Miguel Salguero-Olivares was born in Guatemala and moved to the United States before Hedgepeth’s death. He was 19 years old in September 2012 and was not a student at the University of North Carolina.

Investigators had not identified him as a principal suspect during the original investigation. His name emerged through the genetic genealogy work that connected the crime scene DNA to members of his extended family.

His mother told WRAL in 2021 that her son had said he did not know Hedgepeth. Public reporting before the trial also indicated that police had not established a documented personal relationship between the two.

Following his arrest, Salguero-Olivares remained in custody as the case progressed through the courts. Prosecutors added charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree burglary in November 2024.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges. His defence maintained that the prosecution could not establish that he was responsible for Hedgepeth’s death beyond a reasonable doubt.

What Happened During the October 2026 Murder Trial?

The trial began in Durham County in September 2026, approximately 14 years after Hedgepeth’s death and five years after Salguero-Olivares was arrested.

Prosecutors presented testimony from 23 witnesses over more than nine days. Those witnesses included law enforcement officers, crime scene specialists, forensic scientists, Hedgepeth’s friends and the medical examiner who examined her injuries.

Karena Rosario testified about the events of September 6 and 7, including the women’s visit to The Thrill, their return to the apartment and her decision to leave before dawn. Her account helped establish the timeline used by investigators.

The medical examiner described Hedgepeth’s injuries, including fractures to her skull and wounds to her face and body. Prosecutors used the testimony to explain the violence of the attack and support their contention that the rum bottle was the murder weapon.

North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Justin Heinrich spent two days testifying about the investigation. The prosecution concluded its presentation on October 19.

On October 21, Salguero-Olivares informed the court that he would not testify. The judge questioned him to confirm that he understood his constitutional right to take the stand and that the decision belonged to him.

His defence team then rested without calling witnesses. Attorney James Rainsford asked the judge to dismiss the charges on the grounds that prosecutors had failed to meet their burden of proof. The judge denied the motion.

The absence of defence witnesses did not constitute an admission of guilt. Under the American criminal justice system, the prosecution carries the burden of proving every element of a criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

The DNA Evidence That Became Central to the Prosecution

Forensic evidence formed the foundation of the prosecution’s case. Scientists testified that DNA recovered from Hedgepeth’s body matched Salguero-Olivares and that additional genetic material connected him to objects found inside the apartment.

Erin Ermish, a forensic scientist with the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory, presented statistical comparisons concerning the DNA evidence.

According to testimony reported by the Associated Press, a DNA mixture recovered from Hedgepeth’s body was 170 septillion times more likely under the proposition that it contained DNA from Hedgepeth and Salguero-Olivares than under a comparison involving Hedgepeth and an unknown individual.

Ermish also testified that a DNA mixture from the top of the rum bottle was 48.6 tredecillion times more likely under the prosecution’s proposed contributor combination than under the alternative involving two unknown, unrelated people.

These figures represented statistical measures of the strength of the DNA comparisons, rather than direct calculations of the probability that Salguero-Olivares committed the crimes.

Prosecutors also relied on fingerprint and palm-print evidence, including impressions recovered from a wine bottle and the suspected murder weapon.

The prosecution argued that the combination of biological material from Hedgepeth’s body, DNA on the rum bottle and other physical evidence established Salguero-Olivares’ involvement in the fatal attack.

What Prosecutors Said About the Motive

Prosecutors presented a possible explanation for how Salguero-Olivares encountered Hedgepeth during the early hours of September 7, 2012.

They suggested that he may have attended a barbecue hosted by a neighbour near Hedgepeth’s apartment. According to their theory, he approached the young women in the parking lot, was rejected and returned after Rosario had left the residence.

The prosecution suggested that embarrassment and anger following the encounter could have contributed to the attack. However, no witness testified to seeing the alleged interaction, and the theory was not established through direct eyewitness evidence.

Prosecutor Angela Garcia-Lamarca acknowledged that jurors did not need to accept the proposed sequence of events to find Salguero-Olivares guilty. The prosecution maintained that the forensic evidence established his involvement regardless of whether the precise motive could be proved.

The distinction was important because investigators had not established a documented relationship between Hedgepeth and Salguero-Olivares before the killing. The case depended on physical evidence rather than an eyewitness account identifying the attacker.

How the Defence Challenged the Investigation

Defence attorneys argued that investigators had developed tunnel vision and failed to examine other possible explanations for the evidence.

Attorney Jason Murphy suggested that Salguero-Olivares could have had consensual sexual contact with Hedgepeth before her death. The defence maintained that the presence of his DNA did not establish when the contact occurred or prove that he was responsible for the murder.

The attorneys also questioned aspects of Rosario’s testimony, the collection of forensic evidence and the handling of the apartment. They highlighted missing evidence, areas that police had not searched and limitations associated with interpreting DNA recovered from sexual contact.

The defence argued that biological material can remain detectable for days and that the prosecution had not established the precise timing of every relevant event.

Prosecutors rejected those arguments, maintaining that the combined DNA and fingerprint evidence could not be explained by an innocent encounter.

Special prosecutor Lisa Coltrane argued that investigative mistakes did not eliminate the physical evidence linking Salguero-Olivares to the scene.

The competing arguments left jurors to decide whether the forensic evidence, witness testimony and circumstances of the killing established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The October 23, 2026 Guilty Verdict

Following closing arguments on October 22, jurors began deliberating over the four charges against Salguero-Olivares.

The jury deliberated for approximately six hours across two days before returning its verdict on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Salguero-Olivares was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree burglary.

The verdict established his criminal responsibility for the killing and sexual assault of Faith Hedgepeth, bringing the prosecution to a conclusion more than 14 years after her death.

The jury’s decision followed a trial in which the prosecution relied on forensic evidence and the defence challenged the interpretation of that evidence and the conduct of the investigation.

For Hedgepeth’s relatives, the verdict marked the end of a lengthy wait for a conviction. It also brought the case back into national attention as family members, investigators and jurors reflected on the years between the murder and the trial.

Miguel Salguero-Olivares Sentenced to Life Without Parole

Following the guilty verdict, Salguero-Olivares was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder.

The court imposed additional consecutive prison sentences totalling 45 to 65 years for the other convictions. The punishment means that, unless the convictions or sentences are overturned or modified through legal proceedings, he will remain imprisoned for the rest of his life.

During sentencing, members of Hedgepeth’s family addressed the court and spoke about the loss they had endured since September 2012.

Her mother, Connie Hedgepeth, told the judge that she had made the decision to forgive her daughter’s killer three weeks after Faith’s death. She described the murder as a senseless act and expressed sympathy for the convicted man’s family.

Her father, Roland Hedgepeth, described the loss of his daughter as having his heart ripped out. He said Faith had represented hope during a difficult period of his life and told the court that he forgave Salguero-Olivares.

Their statements became a significant part of the sentencing hearing, illustrating the family’s grief and their decision to extend forgiveness despite the severity of the crimes.

Defence attorney James Rainsford acknowledged the family’s statements. The defence indicated that the convictions would be appealed, leaving the possibility of further court proceedings.

As of October 29, 2026, the jury’s verdict and the sentence imposed by the court remain the established outcome of the trial.

How Faith Hedgepeth’s Murder Affected Her Family and Community

Faith Hedgepeth’s death left a lasting impact on her relatives, friends, the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe and the University of North Carolina community.

Her family spent years attending commemorations, following developments in the investigation and waiting for the identification of a suspect. The length of the investigation meant that milestones in her family’s life passed without her presence.

At UNC, her memory remained connected to student organisations and efforts to recognise violence against Indigenous women. Her honorary induction into Alpha Pi Omega in 2013 reflected the importance of her contributions to the campus community.

The case also became part of a wider discussion about the investigation of violent crimes against Indigenous women and the challenges families face when criminal cases remain unresolved.

For those who knew Hedgepeth, the 2026 conviction provided a measure of accountability. It could not restore the life of a student who had been preparing for a future in medicine and whose education had been interrupted by violence.

What to Expect From 20/20’s “Justice for Faith”

ABC’s 20/20 returns to the Faith Hedgepeth case with “Justice for Faith,” examining the events of September 2012, the investigation that followed and the evidence presented during the October 2026 trial.

The episode includes exclusive interviews with jurors who considered the charges against Salguero-Olivares, investigators involved in the case and friends who knew Hedgepeth before her death.

Their accounts are expected to provide insight into the jury’s consideration of the forensic evidence, the investigative work that led to the 2021 arrest and the personal impact of the case.

The programme also revisits the circumstances surrounding Hedgepeth’s death and the legal proceedings that concluded with a life sentence.

ABC previously covered the case in a September 2016 episode of 20/20, when investigators were still attempting to identify the person whose DNA had been recovered at the crime scene. The October 2026 broadcast presents the case following a completed criminal trial and conviction.

“Justice for Faith” premieres Friday, October 30, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET (9/8c) on ABC, with streaming availability on Disney+ and Hulu.

The episode brings national attention to a case that began with the death of a promising university student, developed into a nine-year search for a suspect and concluded at trial with a conviction more than 14 years after the murder.

More “Justice for Faith”