Monday marks the final pretrial hearing ahead of the murder trial in the death of UNC student Faith Hedgepeth.
Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old sophomore, was found dead in her apartment on Old Chapel Hill Road in September 2012.
On Monday, the defense and prosecution will argue one final pretrial motion — a request from the state to block evidence or arguments suggesting someone other than Miguel Salguero-Olivares is responsible for Hedgepeth’s death.
RELATED: Read a case timeline here
Salguero-Olivares was arrested in 2021 after prosecutors said DNA evidence linked him to the crime. He is also facing charges of first-degree burglary, rape and sexual offense.
He has pleaded not guilty.
The murder trial is scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 28, in Durham County.
The state wants to prevent the defense from suggesting another person killed Hedgepeth unless the defense first presents evidence supporting that argument.
The trial is expected to last several weeks.
In August, the judge ruled on several pretrial motions, including whether cameras could be in court during testimony from Hedgepeth’s roommate.
Last week, prosecutors filed another motion providing insight into the expert witnesses they plan to call at trial.