Chapel Hill jurors request forensic data after first day of deliberations in Faith Hedgepeth case

The jury in the 14-year-old Faith Hedgepeth murder case has requested a review of the forensic evidence after their first day of deliberations. Closing arguments ended Thursday, and the jurors began deliberating that afternoon. They were sent home shortly after 5 p.m. and are due to resume Friday morning. Before leaving for the day, the jurors asked for summaries of the latent fingerprint and DNA reports that were introduced at trial.

The evidence points to Miguel Salguero Olivares, who was accused of breaking into Hedgepeth's apartment, sexually assaulting her, and then beating her to death. The defense argued that Hedgepeth and Olivares may have had consensual sex, and that male DNA can remain inside a woman's body for days. They also pointed out that investigators may have overlooked other leads. The defense attorney, Jason Murphy, urged the jurors to consider the possibility of consensual sex and the lack of certainty in the evidence.

The jury may need more time to reach a decision, as 12 people must work through the evidence and reach an agreement, which might take some time. The prosecution team included two women, and the jury includes nine women, which may have influenced the outcome.

The jury is now focusing on the forensic evidence, and they may return to the DNA evidence repeatedly. If the DNA evidence is undermined, the state's prosecution is undermined. The defense attorney, Jason Murphy, said that the jurors may keep returning to the DNA evidence, as it is the only evidence that the state has in this case. The jury is now considering the forensic evidence, and they may need more time to reach a decision.

The prosecution put forward a new theory of motive for the first time, alleging that Olivares became upset and embarrassed after Hedgepeth rejected his advances outside her Chapel Hill apartment. The defense attorney, Jason Murphy, questioned why the theory surfaced only at that stage, as it is not supported by any of the evidence that was presented. The jury may need more time to reach a decision, as 12 people must work through the evidence and reach an agreement, which might take some time.