Guilty: Faith Hedgepeth's killer sentenced to life in prison without parole
Miguel Salguero-Olivares has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2012 murder and sexual assault of UNC-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth. The verdict follows a 14-year investigation that was finally resolved using DNA evidence.
Why it matters
This case demonstrates the long-term impact of cold-case investigations and the role of forensic technology in achieving justice for victims.
A jury found Miguel Salguero-Olivares guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree burglary in the 2012 killing of UNC-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth .
The verdict, delivered Friday in a Durham County courtroom, came more than 14 years after Hedgepeth, 19, was found beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in Chapel Hill on Sept. 7, 2012.
Salguero-Olivares was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder conviction. He also received sentences of 64 to 89 months for burglary, 240 to 348 months for first-degree rape and 240 to 348 months for first-degree sexual offense. The judge ordered the sentences to run consecutively, rather than concurrently.
Salguero-Olivares is appealing his convictions and sentences.
As the verdict was read, Salguero-Olivares could be heard saying, "It's not fair." His mother was seen crying, and Salguero-Olivares shook his head at times.
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