The 2012 death of Faith Hedgepeth remained one of North Carolina’s most haunting "cold" cases for nearly a decade. For years, people obsessed over the details. The cryptic note left on the bed. The DNA profile that didn't match anyone in the system. The sheer brutality of what happened in that Chapel Hill apartment. Then, in 2021, a name finally surfaced: Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares. Naturally, the first thing everyone asked was, how did Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares know Faith Hedgepeth? It's a question that gets to the heart of how someone can exist on the periphery of a life without being a central figure in it.
The answer isn't a simple one. They weren't dating. They weren't childhood friends. In fact, if you look at the evidence gathered by investigators and the reporting from outlets like ABC News and local Raleigh stations, the "connection" between them was remarkably thin. That’s actually what makes the case so terrifying.
A Social Circle That Overlapped
Faith was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was social, involved in her community, and spent her time navigating the typical college life of classes, parties, and late-night study sessions. Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, meanwhile, lived in Durham. He was 28 at the time of his arrest, meaning he would have been roughly 19 or 20 when Faith was killed in 2012.
He wasn't a student at UNC.
So, how do their worlds collide? Basically, it comes down to mutual acquaintances. Investigators believe that Salguero-Olivares moved in the same social circles as Faith and her roommate, Karena Rosario. In a college town like Chapel Hill, the line between "close friend" and "person I saw at a party once" is incredibly blurry. People drift in and out of apartments. Friends of friends show up to hang out. Honestly, it’s likely that Faith didn't "know" him in any meaningful way at all. To her, he may have just been a face in the crowd.
The Problem With "Knowing" Someone
We often want there to be a grand narrative. We want to find a jilted lover or a secret vendetta. But when looking at how did Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares know Faith, the reality is much more mundane—and arguably more sinister.
According to various police statements following his arrest, there was no evidence of a long-term relationship. There were no text logs showing a secret romance. There wasn't a paper trail of conflict. Instead, the connection appears to be a loose thread of social proximity. If you’ve ever been to a house party where you only knew half the people there, you understand the dynamic. You "know" them because they are in your space, but you don't know them.
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The DNA Breakthrough That Bypassed the "How"
For years, the Chapel Hill Police Department had a DNA profile of the killer. They had skin cells. They had semen. They had a physical blueprint of the man who ended Faith's life, but they didn't have a name. They even used Parabon NanoLabs to create a "snapshot" composite—a digital image of what the killer might look like based on his genes.
The breakthrough didn't come because someone remembered seeing Miguel and Faith together. It didn't come from a tip about their "relationship."
It came from a match.
In 2021, Salguero-Olivares was arrested for a different, unrelated incident—a driving while impaired (DWI) charge in Durham County. When his DNA was entered into the system, the red lights started flashing. It matched the 2012 crime scene perfectly. Suddenly, the question of "how did he know her" became secondary to the fact that he was there.
Why the Lack of a Clear Connection Matters
There’s a specific kind of fear that comes with a crime like this. If Miguel Salguero-Olivares didn't have a deep, personal connection to Faith, it suggests a crime of opportunity or an obsessive fixation from afar.
Think about the night it happened. Faith had gone out to a club called Thrill with her roommate. They came back early. Her roommate left again. Faith was alone. If Salguero-Olivares knew her through the "friend of a friend" network, he might have known where she lived. He might have seen her out that night.
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- The Roommate Connection: Investigators looked heavily into everyone the roommate knew. Because the apartment was shared, anyone who had ever visited Karena Rosario could have potentially known the layout of the home.
- The "Secondary" Acquaintance: In many reports, it's suggested that Salguero-Olivares was an acquaintance of people who were close to the girls, rather than being a direct friend. This is a crucial distinction. It means he could have been "around" without ever being a "part" of her life.
Misconceptions About the Case
You’ll see a lot of rumors online. Some people swear there was a secret link. Others think the note left at the scene—the one that said "I'M NOT STUPID BITCH" and "JEALOUS"—implies a deep personal history.
But here’s the thing: anger doesn't always require a long history.
Criminologists often point out that "overkill" and insulting notes can come from a place of perceived rejection, even if that rejection happened five minutes before the crime. If Miguel Salguero-Olivares knew Faith only casually, his perception of her could have been entirely one-sided. He didn't need to be her boyfriend to feel "jealous" or "stupid"; he only needed to have an interaction that bruised his ego.
The Evidence Against a Deep Bond
- Phone Records: Police analyzed thousands of hours of data. If there was a significant connection, a digital footprint usually exists. There wasn't one.
- Family Statements: Faith’s family has consistently expressed that they didn't know who this man was. In a tight-knit family, a significant person usually gets mentioned.
- The "Stranger Danger" Fallacy: We tend to think killers are either total strangers or intimate partners. Salguero-Olivares falls into the "middle ground"—the dangerous acquaintance.
What This Tells Us About Safety and Justice
The fact that it took nine years to find the link shows just how tenuous the connection was. If they had been close, he would have been a suspect in week one. The delay happened precisely because he wasn't on the immediate radar. He was a peripheral figure.
This case changed how campus police in North Carolina look at "social circles." It’s not just about who you’re dating; it’s about who is standing on the edge of the circle, watching.
When we ask how did Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares know Faith, we are searching for a "why." We want a reason that makes sense. But sometimes, the reason is just a series of unfortunate overlaps in a small town where everyone is only two degrees of separation away from a stranger.
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Actionable Takeaways from the Faith Hedgepeth Case
While we can't change the past, the resolution of this case offers some heavy lessons for personal safety and the legal system.
Understand the "Peripheral Risk"
Most safety advice focuses on strangers in dark alleys or abusive partners. This case highlights the "acquaintance of an acquaintance." Be mindful of who is being brought into your private spaces by friends or roommates. It’s okay to be selective about who has your address.
The Power of DNA Databases
If you are following this case to understand the legal side, realize that the DWI arrest was the "key" that unlocked the door. Forensic genealogy and routine DNA sampling in unrelated arrests are now the primary ways cold cases are being solved. The "how" is often found through biology when the social trail goes cold.
Support Cold Case Units
The Chapel Hill police never "closed" the file. They kept the DNA evidence pristine for nearly a decade. Supporting funding for local police departments to maintain evidence lockers and process backlogged DNA kits is the most direct way to ensure other families get the answers Faith’s family finally received.
Trust the Science, Not the Rumors
In high-profile cases, the internet creates "fan fiction" about relationships. Stick to the court filings. As of the latest developments, the link remains one of social proximity, not an intimate bond. Knowing the difference helps prevent the spread of misinformation that can hurt the families involved.
The legal process for Salguero-Olivares continues to move through the North Carolina court system. While the "how" of their meeting might seem like a small detail, it was the gap that allowed a killer to remain free for 3,288 days. That gap is finally closing.
For those tracking the trial, the focus remains on the physical evidence—the DNA that doesn't lie, even when the social connections are murky. Pay attention to the pre-trial motions regarding DNA admissibility, as that will be the linchpin of the final verdict. Stay updated through official North Carolina judicial announcements rather than social media speculation.