Man accused in 2012 killing of UNC-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth enters plea

Virginia Bridges, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on Aug 3, 2026

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Miguel Salguero Olivares pleaded not guilty Monday to raping and killing University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth nearly 14 years ago.

When asked how he pleads to the charges connected to the September 2012 killing, his attorney answered for him.

“Not guilty to all charges,” James Rainsford said.

The plea came during a hearing on pretrial motions that will determine what evidence jurors may see and which witnesses may testify when the trial begins Sept. 28.

Defense filings raise questions about whether roommate was present

On Sept. 7, 2012, police found Hedgepeth’s body in a Chapel Hill apartment she shared with Karena Rosario, a fellow UNC-Chapel Hill student.

Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old sophomore, was found in the one-bedroom apartment hanging off the bed, tangled in a bloody comforter after being raped and beaten to death, court documents state.

Rosario told investigators that Hedgepeth was asleep when Rosario left the apartment around 4:25 a.m. About seven hours later, Rosario called 911, frantically describing finding Hedgepeth’s body around 11 a.m.

Nine years after the killing, Chapel Hill police arrested charged Salguero Olivares. Police said they used DNA found at the apartment to identify his relatives, which led to him eventually being charged with Hedgepeth’s murder in 2021.

In 2024, prosecutors added burglary, rape and sexual offense charges, alleging Salguero Olivares had broken into Hedgepeth’s home and raped her.

Documents filed last summer on his behalf add yet another tangle to the killing of Hedgepeth, a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribal community who grew up in an area on the border of Warren and Halifax counties.

In court filings over the past year, Salguero Olivares’ attorneys raise questions about whether Rosario was in the apartment when Hedgepeth was killed.

About the pretrial motions

Prosecutors have been critical of the filings, calling them misleading as they unsuccessfully sought to seal pretrial motions, arguing they could bias the jury.

In the pretrial motions, prosecutors ask the judge to prevent the defense from introducing evidence or arguments suggesting another person is guilty of harming Hedgepeth. They also seek to prohibit references or introduction of evidence regarding dozens of polygraph examinations, and to bar the media from recording or taking video or photographs during the testimony of Rosario and Marisol Rangel. Rangel was with Rosario when she found Hedgepeth’s body.

The defense team asked a judge to force prosecutors to disclose communications and other evidence related to their decision not to charge the Salguero Olivares with rape when he was first arrested on the murder charge in 2021.

The defense also wants to prohibit the prosecutors from arguing that a “Courtyard.com” pen found by the bedroom door is the one that was used to write a message left on a white bag in the room.

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