Faith Hedgepeth Murder Trial: DNA Expert Says She Didn't Test the Bedding or a Possible Hair | Pt 29

A possible hair, the pillows, the sheets, the comforter: the State's DNA expert says she did not test any of them. The defense wants to know why. This is the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial in Durham County, North Carolina. Faith was a 19-year-old UNC student. Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares is on trial on the charges, and he is presumed innocent. In Part 29, back from lunch on Day 7, Erin Ermish of the State Crime Lab is on cross for the defense from the first question to the afternoon break. Watch the list build: the phone's buttons, the note in the case, a spot on the jeans. She has a reason for most of them. When she says the lab does not ask about a person's background, the defense fires back: "Why don't you ask?" The question is whether this jury should weigh only what was tested, or also what was left on the shelf. Redirect is still to come. --- WATCH WITH JUSTICE 0:00:00 What this video is, and a preview 0:00:19 Video starts 0:04:41 to 0:05:23 - The defense asks why she never swabbed beside the buttons on Faith's phone 0:05:23 to 0:09:56 - Nothing in her report says she checked with the fingerprint section before swabbing 0:09:56 to 0:13:36 - On the bottle cap, she says, she did ask the fingerprint section where to swab 0:13:36 to 0:14:42 - No swab from the back of the case, the phone itself, or the paper tucked inside it 0:14:42 to 0:23:10 - The pen had no stains either, and she tested that one for touch DNA 0:23:10 to 0:26:35 - The swabs were cut and tested together, never one by one 0:26:35 to 0:33:21 - Did she call the medical examiner or the police about what was missing? No 0:33:21 to 0:36:33 - That part of the sample was never compared to the defendant at all 0:36:33 to 0:41:26 - The roommate's top: DNA from more than one person, too little to read 0:41:26 to 0:43:11 - Retested with more markers, the pen still gives no conclusion for the defendant 0:43:11 to 0:49:47 - Would the lab have a population group for someone from Guatemala? 0:49:47 to 0:54:40 - "Why don't you ask?" The lab never asks anyone's background 0:54:40 to 0:57:11 - Change the second hypothesis and the ratio drops. By how much? She does not know 0:57:11 to 1:07:52 - The boxer shorts swab: the biggest share best fits Faith, the next the defendant 1:07:52 to 1:12:08 - A hair was taken from the item and never tested for DNA 1:12:08 to 1:13:31 - The State objects to a report by another analyst. Sustained 1:13:31 to 1:15:41 - The pillows, the sheets, the comforter: none of them tested 1:15:41 to 1:16:34 - A spot on the jeans tested presumptively positive for blood. Why not test it? 1:16:34 to 1:17:07 - The defense corrects the record: it was the State that asked for the rum bottle test 1:17:07 to 1:18:15 - Redirect is coming, and the court sends the jury on its break --- COMPLETE CASE COVERAGE justiceisaprocess.com SUBSCRIBE for daily trial coverage and hit the notification bell so you never miss testimony. JOIN to unlock the Case Notebook powered by NotebookLM, where you can chat with the evidence, ask questions about testimony, and go deeper than any comment section allows. 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