Reaction pours in from Faith Hedgepeth's family, prosecutors after guilty verdict
DURHAM, N.C. -- Emotions filled a Durham courtroom Friday after a jury found Miguel Salguero Olivares guilty of first-degree murder, rape, sexual offense and burglary in the 2012 death of University of North Carolina student Faith Hedgepeth.
Following the verdict, Judge Keith Gregory invited members of Faith Hedgepeth's family to address the court. Their remarks reflected years of grief, relief and gratitude after a case that remained unsolved for more than a decade.
Judge Gregory also addressed Miguel Salguero Olivares before sentencing, speaking to him moments after the jury returned its verdict.
Faith's mother, Connie Hedgepeth, told the court she felt a sense of peace after waiting more than 14 years for answers.
"We've been waiting for a long time, over 14 years," she said. "I'm just glad that we have the closure we need. I have peace and I forgave."
While speaking about the verdict, Hedgepeth said her heart also aches for Salguero-Olivares' family.
"It just seems like it was such a senseless and cruel act," she said. "But we have to go on, and we just have to trust God and go on with our lives."
She thanked the Durham County District Attorney's Office, Chapel Hill Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation and jurors for their work on the case.
Gregory, visibly emotional, spoke directly to the family from one parent to another.
"It should never be easy for a judge to sit up here in a trial when it comes to looking at another parent," Gregory said.
The judge noted his own son was close in age to Faith when she was killed.
"My son is one year younger than Faith," he said. "We're not supposed to watch our children leave this earth before we do."
Family members remember Faith
Alexis Evans, Faith Hedgepeth's niece, said she was grateful the family would not have to carry uncertainty into the holidays.
"When I spoke about her on the stand, I thought about how much she meant to our family, community and everyone around her," Evans said.
She told the court the loss of Faith continues to affect every member of the family.
"What he took from our family, we feel it in every event, every moment, every place we go," Evans said.
Another relative, Schylar Steverson, said she sympathized with the defendant's family while describing the lasting impact the murder had on her own life.
"I was a junior in high school and going to college and turning 19, and she died when she was 19," Steverson said. "I felt the most unsafe at college."
She said years of fear and anxiety followed Faith's death but that the verdict brought a measure of healing.
"Today I take back that power," she said. "He will not have power over me, and I pray he will not have power over my family. Today we get justice."
Faith's father, Roland Hedgepeth, became emotional while remembering his daughter.
"I always knew she was a gift from God," he said. "Faith never judged me. She always loved me unconditionally."
Addressing the person convicted of killing his daughter, he said: "You didn't have any reason to take her life. You didn't have any right to take her life."
Despite the pain, he said his faith calls him to forgive.
"The God I serve tells me I have to forgive," Roland Hedgepeth said. "I'll still pray for him that he repents for what was done, and if he doesn't, let God have mercy on his soul."
SBI reflects on years-long investigation
After the verdict, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation released a statement highlighting the effort that went into solving the case.
According to the SBI, the investigation took "nine years and nine days to solve" and involved more than 25 special agents working alongside the Chapel Hill Police Department. Investigators followed thousands of leads, conducted hundreds of interviews and collected and tested more than 400 DNA samples.
The agency emphasized that the case was never considered a cold case because investigators continued actively pursuing leads throughout the years.
The SBI said the case is now used to help train new agents at the SBI Academy and noted that it left a lasting impact on investigators, prosecutors and law enforcement personnel who worked on the case.
"The SBI is glad this chapter has found resolution for the family, friends, and all those who have worked diligently over the years to bring justice and closure," the agency said in its statement.
SBI Director Chip Hawley thanked the agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution, praising their "hard work, determination, and dedication" in what he described as a monumental case in the agency's history.
Faith Hedgepeth's family, prosecutors continue reactions after verdict
A press conference was held following the conviction of Olivares at the Durham County Courthouse on Friday afternoon.
The briefing included statements from Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry, members of the prosecution team, the chief of the Chapel Hill Police Department, and Faith Hedgepeth's family.
