Justice for Faith

Trama

On Sept. 7, 2012, UNC Chapel Hill sophomore Faith Hedgepeth was found murdered in her off-campus apartment, leaving her family and friends devastated and desperate for answers. Who would want to kill her? A devoted member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe, Faith was known for her outgoing personality and vibrant social life. Thousands of potential suspects were investigated, and hundreds of DNA samples were tested, but despite the involvement of the FBI, state agencies and private investigators, the case remained unsolved for years. In 2016, there was a break in the case. Investigators turned to DNA phenotyping technology, with Parabon Nano Labs generating a composite sketch of a potential suspect whose ancestry was described as Native American and European or Latino. Still, years passed without an arrest. Then, in 2021, authorities announced a major breakthrough: Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares had been arrested in connection with Faith's murder after DNA collected during a DUI stop matched evidence from the crime scene. Although he had no known personal connection to Faith, he was reportedly working near her apartment around the time of her death. Following the jury's recent announcement of a guilty verdict against Salguero-Olivares, "20/20" correspondent Ryan Smith examines the murder of Faith Hedgepeth, the yearslong investigation that led to the arrest, and the DNA evidence that helped bring the case to trial. With the verdict just announced, the all-new report revisits the search for answers in a case that haunted Faith's loved ones for more than 13 years.