ABC’s 20/20 Examines Faith Hedgepeth Murder Following Guilty Verdict in 13-Year-Old Case

More than 13 years after UNC Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth was found murdered in her off-campus apartment, the case has reached a major turning point.

What’s Happening:

• Following a jury’s recent guilty verdict against the man accused of killing her, ABC’s 20/20 will revisit the investigation and the DNA evidence that finally brought the case to trial in a new two-hour special.
• Titled “Justice for Faith,” the all-new episode airs Friday, October 30, from 9 to 11 p.m. EDT on ABC. It will stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.
• Hedgepeth, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a devoted member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe, was found murdered in her off-campus apartment on September 7, 2012. Known for her outgoing personality and vibrant social life, she left behind family and friends who spent years searching for answers about who could have taken her life.
• The investigation involved thousands of potential suspects, hundreds of DNA samples, the FBI, state agencies, and private investigators. Despite those efforts, the case remained unsolved for years.
• A potential breakthrough came in 2016, when investigators turned to DNA phenotyping technology. Parabon NanoLabs generated a composite sketch of a potential suspect, whose ancestry was described as Native American and European or Latino. However, years passed without an arrest.
• In 2021, authorities announced that Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares had been arrested in connection with Hedgepeth’s murder. DNA collected during a DUI stop reportedly matched evidence recovered from the crime scene. Although Salguero-Olivares had no known personal connection to Hedgepeth, he was reportedly working near her apartment around the time of her death.
• Now, following the jury’s guilty verdict, 20/20 correspondent Ryan Smith examines the murder, the yearslong investigation, and the forensic evidence that helped bring the case to trial. The report also revisits the search for justice that continued for more than a decade after Hedgepeth’s death.
• ABC’s 20/20 is a long-running, award-winning primetime newsmagazine anchored by David Muir and Deborah Roberts. The program features true-crime investigations, exclusive interviews, and in-depth reporting on high-profile stories. Janice Johnston serves as executive producer.
• “Justice for Faith” airs Friday, October 30, from 9 to 11 p.m. EDT on ABC, with streaming availability beginning the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.

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