Faith Hedgepeth’s family ‘relieved’ after arrest in her death. Read their statement.

The family of Faith Hedgepeth said in a statement Saturday they are “relieved” after a suspect was taken into custody in the murder of their 19-year-old daughter in 2012.

Chapel Hill police arrested Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares, 28, of Durham, on Thursday, more than nine years after Hedgepeth, at the time a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, was found brutally murdered in the off-campus apartment of a friend.

Salguero-Olivares was charged with first-degree murder and made his first court appearance in Durham court on Friday, where he was denied bond.

Hedgepeth’s parents joined state and local law enforcement officials at a news conference on Thursday, and her father, Roland Hedgepeth, was present in the courtroom Friday as Salguero-Olivares appeared via video conferencing.

On Saturday, Hedgepeth’s family said they are relieved Salguero-Olivares was arrested, and thanked law enforcement agencies that were involved in the nearly decadelong and ongoing investigation into Hedgepeth’s death.

Here is the family’s statement in full:

“Our Faith had a heart of gold and an infectious smile that illumined a room. Although her time on earth was short, Faith had an enormous impact on many. Our lives were forever changed when Faith was taken from us on September 7, 2012. We are relieved to know that someone has been arrested in Faith’s case.

We thank the members of the Chapel Hill Police Department, NC State Bureau of Investigation, and other agencies that had a hand in the investigation. We are grateful for all the support that we have received, locally and far away, over the past nine years. As we move into this next phase, we ask for your continued support, patience, and understanding as we limit commenting on the investigation.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.”