Miguel Olivares files appeal after life sentence for 2012 killing

Miguel Salguero Olivares formally challenged his life sentence on Friday by filing a notice of appeal with the court.

The 33-year-old man received a life sentence without parole on Oct. 23 following a verdict of first-degree murder. The jury also found him guilty of rape, sexual offense, and burglary in the 2012 death of Faith Hedgepeth.

Prosecutors relied heavily on biological evidence to secure the conviction. During closing arguments, they told jurors that Olivares left his DNA at the scene "like confetti." Several jurors told ABC11 this week that the DNA evidence was the deciding factor in their guilty verdict.

The defense took a minimal approach to the trial. Olivares did not take the stand, and his attorneys rested their case without calling a single witness. In contrast, the prosecution presented testimony from nearly two dozen witnesses. These included crime scene technicians, law enforcement officers, a DNA expert, and friends of the victim.

Jurors deliberated for six hours across two days before returning their verdict. Olivares was originally arrested in 2021, nine years after the crime. Police stopped him for driving while impaired, and a DNA sample he provided matched evidence collected from Hedgepeth's apartment.

Hedgepeth was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when she was beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. Officials held a press conference at the Durham County Courthouse on Oct. 23 to announce the result. Speakers included Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry, the Chapel Hill police chief, and members of Hedgepeth's family.