What was the verdict in the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial in Chapel Hill?

A North Carolina jury found Miguel Salguero Olivares guilty of first-degree murder in the September 2012 killing of 19-year-old UNC student Faith Hedgepeth after about six hours of deliberation over two days. The judge sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole, and Dateline producer Mike Nardi reported that he must also register as a sex offender for life.

• Salguero Olivares had pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys gave notice of appeal.
• Hedgepeth's mother, Connie Hedgepeth, and her father both told the court they had forgiven him.
• The judge said the family's grace reminded him there is still goodness in mankind.

▸In their words

“This court will sentence you to life without the possibility of parole.” Judge · at 11:49 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Dateline NBC (2026-10-29). Read the whole episode summary →

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