New court motions filed ahead of Faith Hedgepeth murder trial

New motions filed by prosecutors and defense attorneys this week give a closer look at the tough legal fight ahead of the murder trial in the death of Faith Hedgepeth.

Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was found dead in her Chapel Hill apartment in September 2012.

Miguel Enrique Salguero Olivares was arrested in 2021 after prosecutors said DNA evidence linked him to the crime. He has pleaded not guilty.

According to new motions, prosecutors want to prevent the defense from suggesting another person committed the crime unless it first meets legal requirements outside the jury's presence.

They also want to prevent the jury from hearing about polygraph examinations conducted regarding the case.

Another motion from the state asks the court to exclude any findings of a 911 call analysis conducted in 2014. The prosecution argues that the findings are not based upon reliable methods or data.

Prosecutors are also asking the court to ban photos and video of Hedgepeth's former roommate and close friend while they testify due to years of 'relentless media coverage.'

The defense also filed several motions.

One motion asks the court to order prosecutors to turn over records related to the state's decision to charge Salguero Olivares in 2021 with murder, but not rape, sexual offense or burglary until 2024. The motion references a 2021 email from a spokesperson for the Chapel Hill Police Department to the department's chief, Celisa Lehew. The email states that reporters would likely ask why sex offense charges were not filed.

More defense filings ask the court to prevent testimony that would suggest Hedgepeth was wearing plaid boxer shorts the night of her murder. An observation by an officer indicated the boxers appeared as though they were taken off by someone else. The motion says that observation is an opinion, and that no witness has said Hedgepeth was wearing those boxers.

A judge has not ruled on the motions yet. The trial is scheduled to start in September.