Miguel Olivares, accused of raping and killing 19-year-old University of North Carolina student Faith Hedgepeth in 2012, sentenced to life in prison

A jury on Friday (Oct. 23) convicted a man of raping and killing a 19-year-old North Carolina college student over a decade ago. Faith Hedgepeth was a sophomore at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill when she was murdered inside her off-campus apartment in 2012. Nine years later, in 2021, Miguel Salguero Olivares was arrested after being pulled over for driving while intoxicated. Prosecutors say that a DNA sample provided by him matched evidence from the 2012 crime scene. Olivares pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Olivares, aged 33, did not testify during the trial, and his attorneys neither called any witnesses nor presented any evidence. The jury deliberated for six hours over two days before convicting Olivares of murder, rape, sexual offense, and burglary.

What happened with Faith Hedgepeth?

Some two dozen witnesses took the stand for the prosecution, including Hedgepeth’s friends and a DNA expert. The victim's roommate, Karena Rosario, told the court that she was drunk and sick when Hedgepeth drove them home from a club around 2 am on the September day she was killed.

She said she later called a friend to pick her up, leaving Hedgepeth alone in the flat. Rosario returned hours later to find her friend dead.

'Skull cracked like an egg'

Hedgepeth had suffered extensive skull fractures and cuts to her face and head, according to an autopsy report.

"He beat her until her skull cracked like an egg," special prosecutor Lisa Coltrane said during the closing arguments. "That is what the last moments of this vibrant young woman’s life was."

What did the defense argue?

Defense attorneys questioned Rosario's version of the night's events, the processing of the crime scene, and the reliability of the DNA evidence. They argued that DNA from sexual intercourse can remain for days.

"Maybe he was living the same life as other 19- and 20-year-old children that we’ve heard about in this case," defense attorney Jason Murphy said. "Maybe he had too much to drink, maybe he forgot about an encounter." The trial lasted more than three weeks.

Olivares to spend life in prison

Olivares was convicted of all charges, including first-degree murder, burglary, and rape. Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Axios reported. The judge said Olivares' attorneys had indicated that he would appeal.