Key court hearing set in Faith Hedgepeth murder case

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- More than 13 years after UNC student Faith Hedgepeth was found dead inside her Chapel Hill apartment, a key court hearing Monday could shape what evidence jurors hear when the case goes to trial later this year.

Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree burglary in connection with Hedgepeth's 2012 death.

Salguero-Olivares is scheduled to appear in court Monday for a hearing on more than a dozen motions filed by prosecutors and defense attorneys ahead of the trial, which is set to begin Sept. 28.

Prosecutors are asking a judge to limit courtroom cameras during testimony from Hedgepeth's roommate and another close friend who discovered her body. They are also seeking to exclude references to polygraph tests, Hedgepeth's blood-alcohol level and a written witness statement, arguing the evidence is unreliable.

Defense attorneys, meanwhile, are challenging several aspects of the state's forensic evidence.

Among the motions, the defense is seeking to limit testimony related to four DNA tests involving Hedgepeth's fingernails, underwear and a pen found near a bedroom doorway. Attorneys argue the State Crime Lab reported inconclusive results from those tests.

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The defense is also requesting access to original forensic images, laboratory data and other materials they contend have not been fully produced during discovery.

Another motion centers on a bloodstain reportedly found on a bathroom doorframe. According to court filings, police reports indicate a sample was collected, but Chapel Hill police later said there is no record of the sample in the evidence system.

Defense attorneys want the court to determine whether the sample was collected and later lost or whether it was never collected at all.

The judge may not rule on all of the motions Monday. However, the hearing is expected to address key evidentiary issues before the case heads to trial later this fall.

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Editor's Note: Featured video is from a previous report.