Monday morning, the court finally confirmed the 12 jurors who will hear the trial for Miguel Salguero-Olivares, the man accused of killing University of North Carolina student Faith Hedgepeth.
But the defense and the prosecution also need to agree on four alternate jurors, a process that is proving just as arduous as last week’s events.
Hedgepeth was found dead in her Durham County apartment in 2012, but the investigation remained unsolved until 2021, when police connected the incident to Salguero-Olivares using DNA analysis. Given the extent of community and media attention that the case has received in the past 14 years, counsel for both sides have been careful to select jurors without preconceived notions about the case.
As a result, the court has taken the unusual step of bringing each jury candidate individually to inquire about their media exposure. Once prospective jurors pass media screening, they are questioned as a group by Assistant District Attorney Angela Garcia-Lamarca and defense attorney James Rainsford.
After confirming the three men and nine women on the jury just before 10 a.m., the court succeeded in finding its first alternate juror. Then they spent the rest of the day seeking a second alternate — in nine unsuccessful attempts so far.
Many of the candidates who passed media screening were dismissed for cause: one revealed he is moving to Europe at the end of the month, and another had urinary frequency issues that could have prolonged the trial. Another, still,was nowhere to be found in the courthouse when called.
“We still have enough jurors…we have a nice stack,” Judge Keith Gregory said as the afternoon progressed.
The defense removed one of the prospective alternates using a peremptory challenge, which allows for striking a person without providing an explanation. Each side received four additional strikes during this phase of selection, and Judge Gregory said both counsels can “carry over” their peremptories from the regular jury panel. This means the defense has four strikes remaining, while the state has eight.
Selection will continue tomorrow, as the day concluded with three alternates still undetermined.
The court will proceed to opening statements only if they have chosen the alternates by 2:30p.m., Judge Gregory said, in order to give the defense and the prosecution adequate time to deliver their statements on the same day.
Sophie Endrud
