Dr. Lauren Scott: Full Testimony of Faith Hedgepeth's Medical Examiner and the 4 a.m. Line

The medical examiner who did Faith Hedgepeth's autopsy put one sentence in her report: Faith was "last seen alive sleeping in the apartment by her roommate at 4 a.m." With the jury out, the defense asked her if it is accurate. "I do not know." The judge let the report in with the sentence in it. This is State of North Carolina v. Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial in Durham County Superior Court before Judge Keith Gregory. Faith, a 19-year-old UNC student, was killed in September 2012. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is presumed innocent. Here is the entire testimony of Dr. Lauren C. Scott, Associate Chief Medical Examiner for North Carolina, Day 3. The court accepted her as an expert in forensic pathology without objection. She performed Faith's autopsy on September 8, 2012. The exhibits, State's 68 to 84, are not broadcast under the judge's pretrial ruling; you hear her walk the jury through them while the camera stays on the courtroom. No fingerprints were taken at autopsy: "They were not requested of our office." On the weapon: "I cannot be more specific," though a thick glass bottle is "one type of instrument" that would be consistent. There is "no scientific way" to fix an exact time of death. Then State's 85, her report, argued with the jury out. The 4 a.m. line came from the first call to her office, through "several parties," and initial information "certainly can be inaccurate." The judge would not exclude the sentence and admitted the report over objections including the confrontation clause and Rule 403. Manner of death: homicide. On cross: when did Faith reach her office? She did not have those records with her. How long was she at the apartment first? "I do not know." On recross, a Wood's lamp is "typically done by a crime scene analyst." Here is what I keep coming back to. Nobody in that room disputed that this was a homicide. What the defense went after was a sentence Dr. Scott never saw for herself: a time, passed to her office in a phone call, now in evidence under her name. Which hour is right matters to the timeline of that night. So who first gave her office 4 a.m.? Her testimony does not say. Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares is presumed innocent. The jury decides. KEY MOMENTS 0:00 What this video is, and a preview 0:17 Intro 1:17 Video starts: Dr. Lauren Scott takes the stand 5:24 Accepted as an expert in forensic pathology 8:20 Her autopsy of Faith Hedgepeth, Sept. 8, 2012 10:06 The State asks that the photos not be broadcast 14:36 State's 68 to 84 offered to the jury 16:26 The jury sees the photos; the cameras stay on the courtroom 31:09 After the break: swabs under the fingernails 33:30 What caused it? "I cannot be more specific" 39:44 The State offers her report, State's 85 40:27 Jury out: one sentence in her report 44:04 Is it accurate? "I do not know." 50:07 The jury returns; the objection is renewed 51:02 State's 85 admitted; cause and manner: homicide 51:35 The defense's cross-examination 55:44 Lung weights: "Not necessarily" 60:13 Recross: "not something we typically do" 60:39 Who did this help? CASE BACKGROUND REPORT: https://justiceisaprocess.com/nc-v-mi... Complete case overview including the charges, the timeline, the key players, and the legal questions this trial raises. State of North Carolina v. Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares. Durham County Superior Court, North Carolina, Judge Keith Gregory presiding. Salguero-Olivares is charged with first-degree murder in the 2012 death of Faith Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old UNC-Chapel Hill student, along with other charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Opening statements were heard on October 7, 2026. He is presumed innocent unless and until the State proves each charge beyond a reasonable doubt. LATEST ARTICLE: https://justiceisaprocess.com/desk-20... PLAYLISTS AND RESOURCES Website: https://justiceisaprocess.com/coverag... Full Trial Live Broadcasts:    • NC v. Miguel Salguero-Olivares: Full Trial...   No Breaks Edition:    • NC v. Miguel Salguero-Olivares: No Breaks ...   Trial Analysis Podcast:    • NC v. Miguel Salguero-Olivares: Case Story...   Key Moments and Testimony:    • NC v. Miguel Salguero-Olivares: Key Moment...   Commentary:    • NC v. Miguel Salguero-Olivares: Commentary   Subscribe for Daily Coverage:    / @justiceisaprocess   FAIR USE AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE This content is produced under Fair Use (17 U.S.C. 107) for news reporting, criticism, and educational purposes. We provide transformative commentary on public court proceedings, advancing public understanding of the judicial process through timestamps, analysis, and educational context. #JusticeIsAProcess #FaithHedgepeth #SalgueroOlivares