Fourteen years after Faith Hedgepeth was found dead, the 19-year-old University of North Carolina student’s final hours are being revisited in a North Carolina courtroom. The opening days of the murder trial have featured emotional testimony and renewed scrutiny of evidence that went missing during the investigation.

Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, 33, faces charges of first-degree murder, rape, sexual offense and burglary in Durham County Superior Court. Prosecutors accuse him of killing Hedgepeth, a biology major at UNC-Chapel Hill, in 2012.

The trial has entered its second week. Dr. Heather Waleski, a sexual assault nurse examiner with Atrium Health, has testified about the forensic medical findings collected in the case.

The early testimony prompted tears from witnesses, jurors and people watching from the gallery, the 9th Street Journal reported. Jurors were shown the alleged murder weapon, while close-up images of Hedgepeth’s face and body led some spectators to shield their eyes.

Descriptions of the severe trauma to Hedgepeth’s brain proved so difficult to hear that the judge halted proceedings for a recess Friday.

At the center of the trial is a dispute over DNA evidence. Prosecutors say it helped identify Hedgepeth’s killer, while defense attorneys argue the case reflects an unreliable investigation in which crucial physical evidence disappeared.

A roommate’s discovery

Hedgepeth’s roommate, Karena Rosario, 34, broke down in tears Wednesday while describing how she found Hedgepeth in their bedroom at an off-campus apartment near Old Chapel Hill Road. Hedgepeth was nude from the waist down, Rosario testified.

“I walked around the bed and saw hair. I pulled the comforter down and saw she had a black eye,” Rosario told the court, ABC 11 reported.

Rosario retraced the events of Sept. 6, 2012, telling jurors that she and Hedgepeth studied at a campus library before returning to their apartment to change clothes. The two women then went to The Thrill nightclub.

They returned to the apartment at about 3:40 a.m. Rosario said she became ill after drinking and left roughly 45 minutes later to stay with a friend.

According to Rosario, Hedgepeth was awake, breathing and responsive when she left.

Rosario later called Hedgepeth to ask for a ride, but Hedgepeth did not pick up.

A friend, Marisol Rangel, drove Rosario home. When they entered the apartment around 11 a.m., Rosario said, they found Hedgepeth near her bed.

Rosario testified that blood covered parts of the walls, bed and Hedgepeth’s arm. She also told a 911 dispatcher that Hedgepeth’s body felt cold.

When officers arrived, Rosario said she asked whether an ambulance was on the way.

“I asked if they were still going to bring the ambulance, but they said she was gone,” Rosario testified.

DNA testing

Investigators collected DNA from the apartment and tested hundreds of samples from people connected to Hedgepeth. None produced a match.

Years later, investigators used genetic genealogy, comparing DNA recovered from the crime scene with profiles in public ancestry databases. That search ultimately pointed to Salguero-Olivares, who was not known to Hedgepeth’s family and friends.

Authorities received a break nearly a decade later. On Sept. 16, 2021, police pulled Salguero-Olivares over during a DUI stop in Wake County, N.C. After obtaining a DNA sample, they charged him with murder.

Prosecutors later added the rape, sexual offense and burglary charges.

The evidence

On Friday, prosecutors presented items recovered from the bedroom, including a Bacardi rum bottle, a wine bottle and a crumpled Time-Out restaurant biscuit bag.

Investigators found a profanity-laced handwritten message on the fast-food bag that read, “I’m not stupid, b—-. Jealous.”

Chapel Hill police forensic technician Tamika Price displayed the 1.75-liter rum bottle to the court, which prosecutors identified as the murder weapon used to deliver blows to Hedgepeth’s head.

“When I put my hands on her head, I could feel where the side of her head was very soft. It was indented,” Price testified, ABC 11 reported.

The jury heard how investigators found the defendant’s DNA on the fast-food bag and the rum bottle.

Questions about the investigation

Under cross-examination, defense attorney James J. Rainsford pressed investigators on how they collected and preserved crime scene evidence.

Price acknowledged under oath that processing mistakes were made. She admitted that she was still in training during the 2012 investigation.

Rainsford questioned why investigators did not photograph the rum bottle before collecting it, and asked why they did not collect additional items from the apartment.

The defense also focused on a missing swab gathered from a reddish stain on a bathroom doorframe. Price testified that an initial test indicated the stain could be blood, but investigators could not find the swab for further laboratory testing.

Retired forensic specialist Sheleathea Quick said she remembered investigators collecting and boxing a swab, but did not know what happened to it.

“We searched the evidence locker,” Quick said. “We searched the truck. We searched the lab.”

The trial continues

Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

Salguero-Olivares would face mandatory life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder, along with possible prison sentences on the rape, sexual offense and burglary charges.

Testimony from state forensic and medical experts is scheduled to continue Tuesday morning.

Unverified reports claiming that Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte died by suicide at 34 have circulated online, prompting concern among fans. No confirmed information has been provided to substantiate the claim.

Mitte’s life story has nevertheless been marked by extraordinary challenges, which he overcame while pursuing his ambition of becoming an actor.

His difficulties began at birth. Mitte was born without breathing and suffered permanent brain damage as a result.

He never discovered the identity of his birth mother. He was adopted by Roy Frank Mitte Jr and Dyna Mitte, who had believed they could not have children after Dyna’s previous battle with ovarian cancer.

Roy and Dyna separated when Mitte was just two months old. He did not learn he had been adopted until he was six, after his stepbrother overheard the conversation and told him: “You are adopted. They don’t love you.”

In 2016, Mitte described his relationship with his father as “kind of estranged.” He said his father had remarried and “had his own little family,” meaning they saw one another only about once a year.

By contrast, Mitte remained extremely close to his adoptive mother, who supported him as he learned to manage cerebral palsy.

He was diagnosed with the lifelong neurological condition at three. Caused by his early brain injury, cerebral palsy can affect movement, muscle control, muscle tone and posture.

For a decade, Mitte wore casts and leg braces and underwent painful physical therapy to improve his ability to walk.

Dyna was his strongest source of encouragement throughout the treatment. She previously recalled: “I never wanted him to feel he couldn’t do something.

“If he came home and said, ‘I can’t play football,’ I would say, ‘Let’s go in the backyard and see what we can do. Maybe we can figure out a different way to play.’”

With that support surrounding him, Mitte assumed occupational and speech therapy were part of every child’s life. It was only after another pupil told him that having a disability “wasn’t normal” that he began to understand he was different.

His school years were particularly difficult. Mitte said he had been “put through the wringer” by bullies, who attacked him violently, including breaking his hand and choking him.

At the same time, he balanced his education with caring for his mother, who lost her job after a car accident left her partially paralysed for six years.

Dyna had recently given birth to Mitte’s sister, Lacianne, when the accident occurred. Mitte was only 12 when he began helping care for both his mother and the baby.

Mitte later said: “She [Dyna] was a single parent, and we had just moved into a new place in Louisiana and feared we would lose everything.

“I mowed lawns, picked up stuff and took it places. I did whatever I could to scrape cash together. I have devoted my life to my mum and my sister, and I still take care of them today.”

The family eventually received a fresh opportunity after moving to Los Angeles, a change that would help set Mitte on the path toward his acting career.

Lacianne had been cast in a commercial when she was only 18 months old after a talent agent spotted her in a water park, with the family moving away from the South in a bid to land her more work. 

At this point Mitte was asked if he’d consider acting, but Dyna was hesitant at first, recalling: ‘My first reaction was “no”. 

‘He had gone through a lot and I didn’t want him to go through the rejection and the negativity that’s inherent in this business.’ 

Yet Mitte was determined and began picking up roles as an extra on shows such as Hannah Montana. 

He previously told The Guardian: ‘I had a lot of responsibility at the age of 12. By 13, I was the main breadwinner for my family. It was scary but necessary. 

‘I started off working as an extra, and I had to keep getting jobs to pay the bills. It evolved into a career very quickly. I think that accident changed our lives. 

‘It changed the dynamics of my relationship with my sister. Lacey is my baby, my little girl. We are still very close.’

Within a year of moving to LA, he had landed his role as Walter White Jr in Breaking Bad – which ran for five seasons between 2008 and 2013 and is widely regarded by critics as one of the greatest television series of all time.

‘I saw this as an opportunity to change my life for the better, and I took it,’ Mitte recalled. ‘It turned into a career.’

The role took Mitte’s career to a whole new level and ‘opened a lot of doors’ for him.

‘Breaking Bad put me on the map,’ he told The Independent in 2021. ‘You’re only talking to me today because of it. 

‘None of my projects would exist without that show and the opportunity it gave me. It really opened a lot of doors for me. I wouldn’t have the media profile and the following that I have today without Walter White Jr. I would just be some kid who lives in Texas.’

With his newfound fame, Mitte called for more representation of disabled actors on television.

‘Representation is everything, as we’ve seen over the last ten years with the growth of representation on television,’ he told radio station WUWF in 2023.

‘Having positive influences of individuals with disabilities, not just cerebral palsy, but all of them, changes the mindset. TV is something that we all share; we all watch. TV really brings communities together in a way that you might not realize through social outlet.

‘I think that can really inspire individuals, and that can do wonders for confidence and self-esteem. If you see a character that’s going through the same struggle as you, and they’re succeeding, and in your life you may not be, it can help inspire you to get that extra push,’ he added.

Mitte also credited his disability for taking him in the direction he went down: ‘I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today without my disability,’ he said. ‘I utilised everything I know about living with cerebral palsy for my role in Breaking Bad.’ 

Last year, he offered advice to young people living with disabilities, saying: ‘My hope is to inspire a “never give up” mentality.

‘If there is something you want in life, pursue it no matter how hard it may be. Keep your dreams alive. Don’t lose sight of who you want to become.’ 

Mitte also found love with Kennedy Suarez, whom he’d been friends with for a decade before things became romantic. 

He proposed on October 10, 2025 – Suarez’s 30th birthday – and told People at the time: ‘I’m thrilled to have found my person, my partner in life who makes me want to be better, no matter what we’re doing.

‘Kennedy is my everything, and I can’t wait to officially start our life together and see what adventures life takes us on next.’

Mitte and Suarez lived in Brownsville, Texas, and the actor was president of The Mitte Foundation, his family’s Austin-based charity. The Foundation rejuvenates and funds South Texas-based marginalized communities. 

Tragically, the pair would never make it down the aisle. 

The news of Mitte’s death came on Monday, with his representative releasing a statement that read: ‘It is with profound sadness we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte.

‘RJ Mitte was best known for his role as Walter “Flynn” White Jr on AMC’s critically acclaimed, award-winning series Breaking Bad.

‘Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion.

‘Beyond entertaining friends and family around the world, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s.’

Mitte’s on-screen father in Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston, 70, said that he is ‘in deep despair’, as he shared a heartbreaking Instagram tribute writing, ‘I’ll miss you, son.’

The actor added that it was ‘especially devastating’ that Mitte ‘took his own life’ as the two had recently been texting and making plans to meet up for lunch.

‘RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad has died,’ he wrote alongside a photo of them together. ‘I met him when he was only 14 years old when he was cast as Walter White Jr., a part he played with such joy and enthusiasm.

‘Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never – ever – allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination.’

Cranston said that Mitte was ‘always listening to the advice that his TV parents (Anna Gunn and myself) gave him – but being a teenager, sometimes mischievously ignoring the counsel in order to learn the hard way… He was one of the stars of a hit TV show – but still a kid’.

‘That kid was pretty raw when we started shooting the pilot in February of 2007, but little by little we watched him grow into a really fine actor.

‘He parlayed his experience on the show to be a vocal advocate for performers with disabilities, and was the head of a philanthropic organization with a focus on helping the disabled community. All that promise and potential now is such a loss.’

Cranston went on: ‘It is especially devastating to hear that he took his own life. Why? We were texting each other just a few weeks ago – figuring out when we could meet for lunch. I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future…

‘But I do know that I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on Breaking Bad dimmed… I’ll miss you, son.’

A county official confirmed to TMZ that Mitte died on Monday in Texas – and that a death investigation is ongoing. The publication added that it was told by a separate source that Mitte had died by suicide.

Mitte went on a hot air balloon ride with his Breaking Bad co-star Luis Moncada just eight days before he died. 

In what was his final public appearance, RJ attended the Albuquerque Balloon Festival in New Mexico, the largest balloon festival in the world, alongside Luis, 49, who played ruthless cartel hit man Marco Salamanca in the series. 

Following news of RJ’s devastating death, Luis shared footage from their time together as they took a ride in a hot air balloon. 

The poignant video saw Luis tell RJ, who rested his head on his shoulders: ‘Let’s hold hands bro. Put your head on my shoulder. You’re going to be ok.’ 

Fans wrote: ‘This is so heartbreaking. I’m so sorry for your loss.’

Mitte’s upcoming film, Forgotten Outlaw, has been put on hold following his death. The actor was set to star in the Nik Tizekker movie , which was in pre-production before being paused after Mitte’s death by suicide, according to TMZ.

Tizekker told the publication he plans to move forward with the movie to honor the late actor’s wishes.

The director also told TMZ that Mitte was perfect for the role, both for his understanding of the character and his physical resemblance to the person he was set to portray.

Production of the film is now on hold, with future plans to recast Mitte’s role later on. The team is also working to secure more funding for the project – something Mitte was helping with prior to his death.

Tizekker also revealed that he and Mitte were working on a limited series titled Like It Was Yesterday, about near death experiences.

Mitte had already filmed scenes alongside actress Catherine Carlen, who played his mom.

The project was approximately halfway finished before Mitte’s death.

Tizekker said he hopes to eventually release the series if he can get the funding for it.

Meanwhile, podcaster Joe Vulpis – who spoke to Mitte in his final interview two weeks before his death – told TMZ he was stunned by the news.

Vulpis said Mitte was making plans for the future when he last saw him to film the podcast.

He described the actor as ‘so positive’ and ‘one of the most kind and genuine people [he] got to speak with.’

‘His passing is super surprising because he was so grounded and down to earth,’ he added.

Vulpis said the two spent more time together after filming the podcast and that Mitte talked about what was coming next and was focused on his charitable efforts and future projects.

He told the podcast host that he had just signed on for another film and was promoting his project Talking to Strangers.

And in his final interview with Vulpis, Mitte reflected on his iconic role as Walter White Jr.

Mitte shared that the ‘most complicated’ scene he had to film came during a phone call with his onscreen father.

‘I really think for me one of the most complicated scenes that I’ve had to do was that final phone call… It’s the last time he talks to him. In reality, I didn’t understand it as much as I do now.’

‘But I still had a lot of pressure and felt a lot of pressure in trying to make sure that was right. And where it set, and the tones, and the confusion, and the different levels of that.’

He went on: ‘Because he’s now hearing this in his school. He’s hearing it from people. He’s been stained by this reputation of Heisenberg. And it’s like, I don’t know who Heisenberg is. Wait, that’s my dad. That’s my father, and he killed my uncle. Like he’s a murderer.’

‘And so that realization for him was something that I really wanted to make sure that I met those criteria. And you know, listening to the directors, listening to Vince [Gilligan], and really Bryan [Cranston] was there that day as well.’

‘He was in the room when we did that scene. So really kind of figuring out how to do that scene justice.’

Mitte also said that he didn’t like watching himself onscreen, because any mistake would make him ‘spiral.’

‘I find for me it doesn’t help me. I dwell in it. I’m someone that when I mess up or like something happens, I dwell and I spiral. Where it’s like, what could I have done differently? How could I have done that differently?’ 

Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte’s private agony revealed: Read dozens of devastating messages to friend… as Bryan Cranston is left ‘heartbroken’ by actor’s death at 34

RJ Mitte’s upcoming film put on hold after Breaking Bad star’s death at 34… as final interviewer says he was stunned by the news 

Heartbroken Bryan Cranston shares emotional tribute to on-screen son RJ Mitte as Breaking Bad co-stars mourn actor after his sudden death at 34

RJ Mitte made his final red carpet appearance just 12 days before shock death at 34 

Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte reflected on his ‘most complicated’ scene in heartbreaking final interview just days before his death by suicide at 34 

If you or someone you know in the US needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988. There is an online chat at 988lifeline.org 

In the UK, please contact Samaritans on 116 123 or www.samaritans.org 

Kyrsten Sinema’s former bodyguard and alleged lover threatened to “punish” the ex-lawmaker and allegedly vowed to decapitate a judge, according to chilling text messages revealed in court. Matthew Ammel appeared at a hearing after allegedly violating a no-contact order issued to protect Sinema.

Prosecutors cited messages allegedly sent by Ammel that left Sinema “reasonably and objectively afraid” she could suffer serious harm, 12News reported Monday.

Ammel, who is accused of vandalizing Sinema’s home, was arrested Sept. 29 outside a Phoenix gun store for allegedly breaching the no-contact order. He was being held on a $25,000 bond, but prosecutors asked the court to raise it to $100,000 in cash only.

Investigators said they found messages allegedly written by Ammel not only about Sinema, but also about a North Carolina judge. The judge was not identified. Ammel’s ex-wife, Heather Ammel, had filed a lawsuit in the state under its so-called “homewrecker” law.

“She needs to pay,” Ammel, an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, allegedly wrote in one message while telling a bail bondsman that Sinema should cover his bond.

In another alleged message, Ammel wrote, “I’m taking her down no matter what it takes.” Prosecutors also said he wrote, “she needs to be punished.”

The timing of those alleged messages remains unclear. However, an attorney representing Sinema told the court that they had significantly affected her sense of safety and wellbeing.

“[She] is reasonably and objectively afraid that if [Ammel] is released, that he will seriously injure either [her] or someone else in the community,” the victim’s attorney said during Monday’s hearing in Arizona.

Ammel also allegedly confided in military acquaintances on Aug. 16, writing: “I’m going to decapitate this f—-t and kill his entire family.”

Ammel previously pleaded guilty to assaulting a physician at a hospital in North Carolina.

Prosecutors sought a $100,000 cash-only bond, acknowledging that the amount “seems disproportionate” to the criminal damage charge connected to the alleged destruction of Sinema’s Cave Creek home in late August.

“A high cash-only bond is the only way to protect the victim and the community, and to ensure he complies with court orders,” prosecutors argued.

Ammel remains in custody and would be placed under house arrest if he posts bond.

He would also be required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release.

Ammel joined Sinema’s security team in 2022 and began a romantic relationship with her before his divorce was finalized. He is scheduled to stand trial Feb. 9, 2027, over allegations that he caused more than $200,000 in damage to her home. Ammel attributed the destruction to being “p—-d” at the U.S. political system.

He allegedly threw 22 paintings into Sinema’s swimming pool, smashed several expensive bottles of alcohol and destroyed a mirror.

Ammel has since said he damaged the home after Sinema refused to share a video showing soldiers helping a wounded man in Iraq.

Sinema’s relationship with her former bodyguard became public after Ammel’s ex-wife of 14 years sued the former politician under North Carolina’s “homewrecker law.”

Heather Ammel accused Sinema of contributing to the breakdown of her marriage by having an affair with her ex-husband during trips they took around the world.

She also alleged that Sinema bought Ammel gifts and paid for him to undergo psychedelic treatment during the relationship.

A 40-year-old man was arrested in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on allegations that he trafficked children, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

Rigoberto Chavez-Regaldo was taken into custody early Thursday, Oct. 8, during a multi-agency operation focused on the alleged trafficking of minors, according to a federal agency news release.

Chavez-Regaldo faces charges including sexual conduct for a fee, aggravated rape resulting in serious bodily injury, aggravated statutory rape of a child, rape of a child by force, trafficking a person for sexual servitude, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, enticing a child under 16 and selling or delivering liquor to a person under 21.

Chavez-Regaldo was arraigned Thursday and ordered held without bail. His detention will be reviewed during a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Dennis Matulewicz, who leads the U.S. Marshals Service in the District of Massachusetts, described the allegations as among the agency’s “most disturbing.”

SEE ALSO: Alachua County Man Arrested After Alleged Attack on Delivery Driver

He added that the arrest demonstrated the effectiveness of the agency’s Fugitive Task Force and its law enforcement partnerships. Matulewicz said authorities’ thoughts and prayers were with the children affected by the alleged crimes as they recover and move forward.

Officials said they would withhold additional information to protect the identities of the minor victims.

The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the arrest with assistance from Brockton Police, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing and Nantucket Police.