The director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said this evening that the investigation into the murder of Hollister native Faith Hedgepeth was never a cold case because agents never stopped looking for her killer.

The Associated Press reported this afternoon that Miguel Salguero-Olivares was convicted of first-degree murder, rape, and other charges in Hedgepeth’s death. Hedgepeth was a 19-year-old student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when she was killed.

She was beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. Salguero-Olivares was arrested nine years later after he was pulled over for driving while impaired and provided a DNA sample that prosecutors said matched evidence from the crime scene, the AP reported.

SBI Director Chip Hawley said in a statement that the investigation into her death took nine years and nine days to solve.

“Over that time, more than 25 SBI special agents worked tirelessly with our partners from the Chapel Hill Police Department on this case," Hawley said. "This wasn’t a cold case, because the investigators never stopped looking for the person responsible for Faith’s murder.”

Hawley said agents and staff logged thousands of hours during the investigation and in preparing for the trial. They followed thousands of leads, conducted hundreds of interviews, and collected and tested more than 400 DNA samples.

“The case has become part of how the SBI trains,” Hawley said. “New special agents now study it at the SBI academy. It has also left a lasting mark on the Chapel Hill Police Department and the Durham County District Attorney’s Office, whose personnel worked alongside the SBI throughout.”

“The SBI is glad this chapter has found resolution for the family, friends, and all those who have worked diligently over the years to bring justice and closure," Hawley added. "Again, we extend our condolences to Faith's family and friends. I would like to extend my grateful appreciation to all the partnering agencies who assisted in getting justice for Faith and her family. I applaud their hard work, determination, and dedication to this monumental case in the SBI's history.”