NC NC - Faith Hedgepeth, 19, UNC student, Chapel Hill, 7 Sep 2012 #3

[Webthrush]

Literally every day since the guy was arrested, I've checked for updates and there is no been essentially no new information released. I'm quite confused as to what is exactly going on. There was some PI who worked on the case and he said that there might be more than 1 person involved, but I'm uncertain how credible that is.

I'm worried they might have tunnel vision, like after all these years of elaborate conspiracy theories, they can't accept that it really was just this 1 guy who nobody has heard of. And so they're unnecessarily dragging out the investigation, in hopes of catching one of the more popular suspects (Takoy Jones, especially) in the net.

My opinion on this murder has always been that it was most likely committed by a singular offender. If we get some new information which points to more than 1 person being involved, then I will have to reconsider, but I doubt there will be any more arrests.

However, I am curious about how Real-Life Nightmare covered the murder. What, if anything, did they say about Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares? (I call him MESO, usually) And did the program feature a guy named Arlo West? Was he part of it?

Were there any interviews with a woman named Marisol Rangel? And although I'm afraid to ask, how did they talk about Karena Rosario?

Well, personally I’ve always felt there were 2 perps, in this instance the 2nd being a work colleague, relative, or friend (who’s name we’ve never heard) of Olivares, and again, if that turns out to be the case, it will be interesting to see how that affects the charges against MESO. If any others charged, link back somehow to Rosario or Takoy Jones that will be (to me) even more amazing.

…and sorry to be so redundant on this, but I can imagine reasons why LE is being so silent, but don't understand why the press is so quiet on the case???

 

[Moonbeam456]

Well, personally I’ve always felt there were 2 perps, in this instance the 2nd being a work colleague, relative, or friend (who’s name we’ve never heard) of Olivares, and again, if that turns out to be the case, it will be interesting to see how that affects the charges against MESO. If any others charged, link back somehow to Rosario or Takoy Jones that will be (to me) even more amazing.

…and sorry to be so redundant on this, but I can imagine reasons why LE is being so silent, but don't understand why the press is so quiet on the case???

I feel the same way and with this huge delay/silence this can't be as cut and dry as one perp who is already in custody, something is going on. I'm leaning towards more forensic tests being done and they are waiting on the results, it's the only thing that makes sense to me at this point. I find it strange that no one in the press has brought up the fact that we haven't heard anything in months, this was a case with a lot of coverage/attention, isn't the media wondering what is going on too? It's very strange...

 

[raiders444]

With Gaspo gone, are there any other local reporters who have taken a personal interest in this case? Maybe they or the News-Observer could be contacted?

 

[Webthrush]

With Gaspo gone, are there any other local reporters who have taken a personal interest in this case? Maybe they or the News-Observer could be contacted?

Several reporters and local outlets have followed this case closely from the beginning. I previously contacted individuals (via email) at 2 TV stations, a radio station, the UNC student paper, News&Observer, Durham Herald, and The Independent, asking if they have any news/updates on the case, and have never heard anything back… I didn’t really expect to hear anything back, but thought maybe I might at least get some sort of vague statement like ‘We are not able to discuss that case at the current time’ …but no, not even that. I especially feel sorry for all those closest to Faith, who after 9 years of utter frustration, must once again feel a bit exasperated and bewildered.

 

[fluffypaste]

What if

I feel the same way and with this huge delay/silence this can't be as cut and dry as one perp who is already in custody, something is going on. I'm leaning towards more forensic tests being done and they are waiting on the results, it's the only thing that makes sense to me at this point. I find it strange that no one in the press has brought up the fact that we haven't heard anything in months, this was a case with a lot of coverage/attention, isn't the media wondering what is going on too? It's very strange...

I feel like at this stage of the game, after 9 years, the only forensic testing you'd see would be if MESO's court-assigned attorney were asking for additional testing, to see if he's able to find any results which might exculpatory. And it would be his job to ask for that sort of testing if he thought there were any genuine possibility that it might help his client's position.

 

[Webthrush]

A new piece from the News & Observer today:
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article257547083.html

Has some updated tidbits (about further evidence LE sought), though not clear to me that it adds much to what we already know, nor explains why it took this long to divulge such bits.
Also it mentions toward end that it is "unclear" when the next court date will be.

addendum: just noticing that what I believe was always called a "rum" bottle before, is referenced here as a "wine" bottle, and at one point they mention " the wine and liquor bottles" -- I don't recall other liquor bottles being discussed before??? FWIW.

 

[Moonbeam456]

A new piece from the News & Observer today:
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article257547083.html

Has some updated tidbits (about further evidence LE sought), though not clear to me that it adds much to what we already know, nor explains why it took this long to divulge such bits.
Also it mentions toward end that it is "unclear" when the next court date will be.

addendum: just noticing that what I believe was always called a "rum" bottle before, is referenced here as a "wine" bottle, and at one point they mention " the wine and liquor bottles" -- I don't recall other liquor bottles being discussed before??? FWIW.

I think the wine bottle is a mistake in reporting, I think they are actually talking about the rum bottle we already know about.

I wonder if what is mentioned below is what is holding up further proceedings? This would explain it, his lawyer is trying to block the evidence they collected.

In October, Salguero-Olivares’ attorney, Chief Public Defender Dawn Baxton, filed a motion to suppress evidence.

A related affidavit states Baxton believes law enforcement lacked probable cause to seize “certain physical evidence,” but doesn’t specify which items.

“Under the circumstances as counsel understands them, the physical evidence that was seized by law enforcement officers is a violation of the Defendant’s Constitutional rights,” Baxton wrote in court documents.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

A new piece from the News & Observer today:
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article257547083.html

"
"After searching Salguero-Olivares’ Durham apartment on Sept. 16, police seized six cell phones and one laptop, the warrants states."

Six cell phones? That seems unusual.

 

[fluffypaste]

"
"After searching Salguero-Olivares’ Durham apartment on Sept. 16, police seized six cell phones and one laptop, the warrants states."

Six cell phones? That seems unusual.

It seems unlikely to me that he'd still have the same cell phone that he had during the time of the murder, but if he has 6 of them, then maybe one of them is the one he had 9 years ago. Either way, I'd be interested to see if he's been following the investigation over the years. Maybe if participating in discussion forums and trying to steer the conversation in certain directions.

 

[fluffypaste]

A new piece from the News & Observer today:
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article257547083.html

Attorney General Josh Stein said in September that 229 DNA samples had been analyzed to rule out suspects.

Only 229? I mean, that's still an enormous number, but for some reason, I thought the number was over 700.

 

[CADwrest]

One new piece of info there is the bit about the fingerprints. That’s something CHPD never confirmed before.

 

[Moonbeam456]

I think the wine bottle is a mistake in reporting, I think they are actually talking about the rum bottle we already know about.

I wonder if what is mentioned below is what is holding up further proceedings? This would explain it, his lawyer is trying to block the evidence they collected.

In October, Salguero-Olivares’ attorney, Chief Public Defender Dawn Baxton, filed a motion to suppress evidence.

A related affidavit states Baxton believes law enforcement lacked probable cause to seize “certain physical evidence,” but doesn’t specify which items.

“Under the circumstances as counsel understands them, the physical evidence that was seized by law enforcement officers is a violation of the Defendant’s Constitutional rights,” Baxton wrote in court documents.

Hmm, the article seems to have been updated since I first read it. Interesting that we are now just hearing about this wine bottle. Lots of mystery still surrounds so much of this case...

 

[Webthrush]

Hmm, the article seems to have been updated since I first read it. Interesting that we are now just hearing about this wine bottle. Lots of mystery still surrounds so much of this case...

Yeah, they’re listing the article as updated today, but in my reading I couldn’t tell what had been changed or added to the original??? They’re still referring (mistakenly?) to the rum bottle as a wine bottle.

Maybe a legal mind out there can explain if the public defender’s actions is likely what’s delaying another court hearing — it would clearly affect what gets presented at trial, but I don’t see how it interferes with a simple arraignment hearing for this long (but what do I know ).

Lastly, it says LE are wanting MESO’s fingerprints to match up to those on the bottle — they already have a palm print match and touch-DNA match, so I’m wondering if they have unidentified prints from bottle they are seeking to match to him (…because if they DON’T match it may imply a 2nd perp).
Yes, still "lots of mystery" left.

 

[Moonbeam456]

Yeah, they’re listing the article as updated today, but in my reading I couldn’t tell what had been changed or added to the original??? They’re still referring (mistakenly?) to the rum bottle as a wine bottle.

Maybe a legal mind out there can explain if the public defender’s actions is likely what’s delaying another court hearing — it would clearly affect what gets presented at trial, but I don’t see how it interferes with a simple arraignment hearing for this long (but what do I know ).

Lastly, it says LE are wanting MESO’s fingerprints to match up to those on the bottle — they already have a palm print match and touch-DNA match, so I’m wondering if they have unidentified prints from bottle they are seeking to match to him (…because if they DON’T match it may imply a 2nd perp).
Yes, still "lots of mystery" left.

It's confusing, the first time I read it, it seemed to only mention the wine bottle which is why I assumed they were actually talking about the rum bottle but they updated it and now sounds like in addition to the rum bottle they found an empty wine bottle, which is not something I recall ever hearing about until this article.

I know wine is very popular but with young college kids? That's not very common, they tend to stick with beer and hard alcohol.

 

[CADwrest]

The article as I just read it mentioned a “bloody liquor bottle” rolled up in the bedsheets and a wine bottle also located at the crime scene. I’m pretty sure the liquor bottle refers to the Bicardi bottle and the wine bottle the Riesling bottle (which we knew about from the search warrants but otherwise barely ever gets mentioned.) I didn’t catch anything really new there.

 

[fluffypaste]

The updated article now contains allusions to forensic genealogy. It now seems to imply that police were able to find "distant relatives" of the killer through familial DNA searchs, and that interviews with those relatives eventually pointed them towards MESO as a suspect.

 

[Webthrush]

The updated article now contains allusions to forensic genealogy. It now seems to imply that police were able to find "distant relatives" of the killer through familial DNA searchs, and that interviews with those relatives eventually pointed them towards MESO as a suspect.

yes, at the time of MESO’s arrest it was explained that forensic genealogy was used by a Maryland LE officer to crack the case (though I was never clear if the officer had acted on his own out of interest in the case, or if CHPD had specifically solicited his assistance?)

 

[fluffypaste]

Is it possible to actually read the search warrants online?

 

[CADwrest]

Is it possible to actually read the search warrants online?

The media organizations got them using FOIA requests. If they don’t publish the warrants themselves, we’d have to file the requests ourselves to get them.

 

[Webthrush]

gee, I keep reading news pieces about the wine bottle with palm print and fingerprints as a key piece of evidence, but I barely recall this ever being mentioned before, instead it was always about the rum bottle (murder weapon) with touch DNA… very confusing… also there are references to “liquor bottles” plural… so was there more than just the rum bottle around… almost sounds like they were ‘partying’ in the bedroom before the violence began… is everyone confused about the bottles at this point, or does someone have a clearer understanding?