Man convicted of rape and murder in 2012 UNC student killing after DNA breakthrough

A North Carolina jury on Friday sentenced Miguel Salguero Olivares, 33, to life without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder of Faith Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who was slain in September 2012. The verdict also includes convictions for rape, sexual assault and burglary, adding a further 45 to 65 years to his term. Prosecutors presented forensic evidence—DNA, fingerprints, palm prints and a blood-stained bottle—arguing it unmistakably identified the defendant, while the defense claimed investigators had tunnel vision and questioned the reliability of some DNA findings.

Jurors deliberated for six hours over two days before reaching the decision. Hedgepeth’s mother Connie and father Roland each told the court they had forgiven the killer, despite the lingering pain. The case, reopened after Olivares was arrested nine years later following a DUI stop and DNA match, concludes a 14-year pursuit of justice.