Testimony continues Tuesday in Faith Hedgepeth murder trial: news

Testimony Continues Tuesday in Faith Hedgepeth Murder Trial

Witness testimony and forensic presentations continue this Tuesday in the Durham County Courthouse for the murder trial of Miguel Salguero-Olivares, the man charged in connection with the 2012 killing of UNC-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys are presenting evidence to the jury after the trial entered its witness testimony phase. Salguero-Olivares, now 33, faces charges of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree burglary, and first-degree sexual offense. Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old sophomore, was found dead of blunt-force head trauma in her off-campus Chapel Hill apartment on September 7, 2012.

The state’s case focuses heavily on forensic evidence, arguing that DNA linking the defendant was recovered directly from the crime scene, including on a Bacardi bottle believed to be the murder weapon. The defense continues to challenge the handling and interpretation of physical evidence by Chapel Hill investigators while highlighting inconsistencies from initial interviews, arguing that presence does not equate to proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Courtroom proceedings, opening statements, and daily developments can be followed in depth through gavel-to-gavel coverage on Court TV’s Trial Stream, which provides direct access to the live testimony and opening statements in the case.