ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - October 22, 2026

Episode Date: October 23, 2026

Eyewitness News at 11pm - October 22, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, preparing you for tomorrow starting tonight and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. All these people have racked themselves with guilt when the guilt lays right here with this name. First tonight at 11 p.m. 2 dramatic moments from closing arguments today in the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial. the prosecution and defense, making their final pitch to the members of the jury. The fate of Miguel Salwiro Olivares now sits in the hands of nine women and three men. The jury deliberating for nearly two hours today before the judge dismissed them until tomorrow. Thanks so much for joining us here for the news at 11. I'm Lauren Johnson.

Hi everyone. I'm Steve Daniels. We've been following this case every step of the way since it began years ago when Faith Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old UNC student was found beaten to death in her apartment in 2012. Miguel Soluero Olivarez is on trial for the murder. eight days of jury selection and nine days of testimony and a surprise decision by the defense lawyers not to present any evidence. We are now closing in on a verdict that could have far-reaching consequences for both sides. Today, closing arguments wrapped with prosecutors telling jurors that Miguel Solero Olivari's left his DNA, quote, like confetti at the crime scene, including on wine and rum bottles and on Hedgepats body. The state argued the forensic evidence is, quote, screaming his name. The defense countered by attacking the investigation questioning

what evidence was missed or mishandled over that nearly 14-year-old case. The jury, nine women and three men deliberated briefly this afternoon before being dismissed for the day, and deliberations will resume tomorrow morning. Tonight, Jemise Price spoke with a legal expert about what the jury must consider before reaching a verdict. James, he says he wouldn't be surprised if we don't get a verdict tomorrow. That's right, Steve. He says this could go well into next week. And based on this legal expert in his opinion, he believes this is a difficult decision.

ahead for this jury based on questions surrounding forensic evidence of whether the prosecution presented enough evidence to decide on each charge beyond a reasonable doubt. I don't think there's going to be a rush for judgment here in this case. The fate of defendant Miguel Salero Aliveres is now in the hands of the jury, and according to legal experts, it's not an easy task. It is a very complex undertaken that they have to deal with and they have to do that in the context of the instructions given by the judge. Before deliberations wrapped up for day one, the jurors already had questions and requested to review the latent fingerprint and DNA report summaries introduced during the

trial. North Carolina Central University law professor, Irv Joyner says that's an indication the DNA evidence is what the jury wants to focus on first. As it should be, because that is the only evidence that the state has. Prosecutors argued the forensic evidence points to Alvarez as the person responsible for hedge pest's death. They told jurors he broke into hedge pest apartment, sexually assaulted her, and then beat her to death. So I think they would have additional question, starting first again with the DNA and the strengths

of that. Without the DNA, the state would have nothing. So if that is undermined, then the state's prosecution, is undermined. In closing argument, prosecutors presented a motive in the case for the first time. The state alleges Oliveras became upset and embarrassed after Hedgepeth turned down his advances outside their Chapel Hill apartment when she returned home from the club with her roommate. That's a big question mark. This theory, based on the evidence that I've heard, is not supported by any of the evidence that was presented. Jurers will recall that they didn't hear

any witness testify to this. Journal says given the nature of the charges, deliberations could go beyond Friday. As the evidence has been presented, that it leaves a lot of questions and opens up a lot of different opinions where you have now. That might take some time. And deliberations is expected to resume tomorrow morning. Lauren, Steve. Yeah, we'll be covering it with our team there at the Durham County Courthouse. We'll send out a push alert on ABC11.com and the app on our phone as well. the minute we get a verdict.

Tamise, thank you. From interim to permanent, tonight, Kerry has its next town manager, Russ Overton, officially getting the job after stepping in during a turbulent transition period that ended in a change in leadership. Tom George, live and Kerry tonight with a decision and the new details we're learning about Overton's brand new contract there. Tom. Yeah, good evening. We're learning that Russ Overton's contract will be for $34,000 a year, along with a $4,800

car allowance and a $1,200 technology allowance. but the mayor and council members believe this is an important step forward after what's been a very difficult year. I'm incredibly proud of what we all continue to accomplish together. I believe our best days are ahead of us. Russ Overton getting a round of applause after being sworn in officially to the job he was thrown into almost a year ago. It's been a tough 11 months. To move this organization forward, which is a strong organization, we need somebody that knows carry very, very well.

Somebody that has the experience and the knowledge to keep carry one of the best communities in the nation. Overton took over as interim town manager after former town manager Sean Stiegel resigned

after being placed on leave last December in the wake of financial issues and a culture of excessive spending. Amid the audits and investigations that followed, Overton had a tough job. As interim town manager, Russ Overton had absolutely no wiggle room.

It's why council members said they opted against doing a national search for a new manager and decided to go with someone who knows the town. I know there were some folks that are like, well, you know, maybe you should have started from scratch. I do, I do believe that the longevity and the continuity, this is what we need to keep our town stable and to keep delivering the services that our residents have come to expect. Overton, also part of the team that's helping to implement some new recommendations in the wake of that audit report, which were talked about today, including reviewing town credit card purchases,

reinstating an internal auditor position and improving oversight on town finances. Council, hoping it's the beginning of a new era. They're also going to see that there's going to be absolute concerted effort for us to question every spend, to look at every single policy we have and make sure that our staff behavior, that our council behavior all matches the policies that we have in place.

And Overton certainly has that work cut out for him as they continue to implement those new recommendations. The Town of Kerry has a live tracker of those progress goals that they're making in the wake of that audit report. In the meantime, again, Overton's salary set at $34,000. That's a little bit less than what Sean Stiegel was making after his nine years on the job. After his position was terminated, he was also given a $195,000 severance package. But again, a new era officially starting today with Russ Overton going from interim to permanent town manager, reporting live and carry tonight. Tom, Georgia, ABC 11. Howitz News?

And closer oversight of taxpayer dollars. That's the focus of that policy review in the town of Carrie right now. Tom, thank you. New at 11, more than 77 pounds of an illegal drug seized from a new business in Durham. And investigators say they found it while conducting an ABC inspection. ALE agents say they discovered the drug known as cat, which officials say has effects similar to cocaine and methamphetamines. Mohammed Ahmed al-Said has been arrested and charged with multiple felony drug offenses in connection to the drug seizure. Tonight the search is on in Wake County for two young people who jumped and ran after a police chase. Two other young people were arrested following that chase that ended in crash. Deputies say they were trying to conduct a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle on Nightdale Boulevard in Wendell. The driver led deputies on a chase hitting an SUV and also a tractor trailer on I-540 and I-87.

Deputies said the driver and three passengers jumped and ran from the car. Two young people were found and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies are still working to find the other two young people who took off running from that stolen car. To vote 2026, early voting numbers in North Carolina are not slowing down at all. According to the State Board of Elections, over one million in-person ballots had been cast as of yesterday and more than 51,000 absentee ballots. And check out this video from yesterday as students at NC Central University in Durham along with Chancellor Kerry Dixie. March to an on-campus early voting location. The data reveals many voters going to the polls early

are young voters and voters are making big decisions in several key races and one of those big midterm races is right here in our area. Former Governor Roy Cooper taking on Republican Michael Watley for a seat in the US Senate. Polling shows Cooper with a sizable lead, but he is still campaigning across the state. Governor Cooper was in Raleigh this evening

where he continued his Make Stuff Cost Less tour at the First Baptist Church on South Wellington Street. We're glad that people are turning out to vote. I think people are very frustrated that their paychecks are not keeping up with the cost of living. And they're frustrated that Washington not only is not doing anything about it. They're making it so much worse with the chaotic tariffs and with this war in Iran. And they're frustrated and wanted to show that they want to do something about it. Cooper's opponent Michael Watley campaigned in Greenville with President Trump earlier this week and then made a stop in the sandhills yesterday.

Early voting advocates are keeping their push to the polls going. a voters march in Nightdale on Saturday. It begins at 10 a.m. at Nightdale High School. From there, it will go to the Nightdale Recreation Center, which is an early voting location. This is a nonpartisan community event focused on bringing the community together, encouraging civic engagement and increasing voter participation. In Orange County, we're diving into a program that's focused on keeping young people who are first-time offenders out of the court system. The youth deflection program launched in 2021. It lets officers refer eligible young people to a program that offers an alternative to court. The deflection program builds on an individualized plan that can include

school-based therapy, peer mentoring, and also family counseling. Accountability is important. Teaching the kid about collateral consequences of legal involvement should have gone to the court, and then also just addressing any kind of unmet needs that need to be addressed so that they aren't stronger footing and are not making poor choices. And the Chapel Hill Police Department is one of that program's community partners. Still to come here at 11, the Apex Police Department making some changes to who can access their flock camera data. And we're hearing from the Chief of Police in Apex about why the changes are needed as the town faces scrutiny over the use of that controversial technology. Plus hometown heroes getting recognition for their selfless service.

We'll tell you about the brave actions of four first responders. And Don's checking on the temperatures outside tonight. And it's cold out there tonight. Numbers in the 40s, even some 30 starting to show up. But we are going to warm it up. We'll talk about that in your great fall weekend and your complete forecast next. Unlock unlimited free grocery delivery with PC Express Pass. Shop online and get the same low No Frills prices delivered.

Get your first year of PC Express Pass for just $2.50 a month. Learn more at no frills.ca. The new Subaru Cross Trek Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient cross-track yet. That means less time filling your tank and more time filling your day. More court time. More ride time, more lake time, more camp time, more go time. The new 2027 Subaru Cross Trek Hybrid. Consumer Reports top-rated subcompact SUV.

Stop by your local Subaru dealership or visit Subaru.ca to learn more. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services. We are Local News. ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. Tonight changes to how one local agency is using those automatically license plate cameras. The Apex police chief tells the ABC 11 I team, his department is changing access to vehicle data collected by the company flock. It comes as the eye team is digging into who has access to that vehicle data and what's in place to protect it. The chief, Ryan

Johansen, says they no longer share that data nationwide, instead restricting access to departments here in North Carolina and also for surrounding states. He says they also require several things from officers before they can conduct a database search. But he says his concern centers around the misuse of the flock database by other. departments with access to the data. And as a police chief, I share that concern, because I don't have as much influence or control over officers and other agencies accessing data from Apex, plain and simple, and I don't have a whole lot of teeth in the event that they use it in a way that I wouldn't approve of.

In a statement to the I team, Flock said in part their customers own and control their own data and who they share it with. Flock does not own or sell data and every search is auditable. Audit assistance will be required for all law enforcement customers by the end of 2026. And the Apex Police Department is now directing interested residents in their town to their flock camera transparency page where they're making policies and usage data available to the public. New at 11. Four first responders from Sanford had been recognized as hometown heroes by the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. Two members of the Sanford Police Department and two from the Sanford Fire Department were honored

during a ceremony held yesterday in Fuqua Verena. Sanford Police officers Em Hogan and P. Hanson were nominated for their response to a house fire in August where they raced into a burning home to rescue an elderly resident. Sanford Fire Captain Clay Vaughan was recognized for his actions after responding to a car crash in June where he helped triage multiple injured victims and provided life-saving care to a child. And finally, fire battalion chief Lonnie Kiker was honored for his legacy of selfless service to the Sanford community, having retired in July after 35 years with that department. New here at 11, community members gathered tonight to watch a Johnston County man live out his dream right here on ABC 11. His dream being on Wheel of Fortune.

Larry Lamb appeared on tonight's episode of the popular game show and got to live through the surreal experience of watching himself on national TV with the support of those friends and family. Larry is a longtime Wheel of Fortune fan and he says he began watching this show when he was a kid after his immigrant parents encouraged him to watch television to improve his English vocabulary. He now credits wheel with helping build his language skills and he says appearing on tonight's show brings his journey full circle. The North Carolina Courage could be looking to move from Kerry to downtown Raleigh, according to the Triangle Business Journal. The courage is pushing for a new stadium in downtown. The team owners say the move would allow room for more fans and new revenue streams like a store to sell merchandise year round. Currently, the courage play at Wake Med Soccer Park and Kerry. Owners say the current lease runs through next year.

If the courage did move to a new stadium, it's a new stadium is. to a new stadium, it would be part of Kane Realty's downtown South project. Eyewitness News reached out to the courage and we have not yet heard back. We are starting the countdown to the Raleigh Christmas Parade. We are now less than a month away from the holiday season kickoff event, the 82nd annual Crossroads Ford Apex. ABC 11 Raleigh Christmas Parade presented by Shop Local Raleigh is set for Saturday, November 21st at 9.

Of course, you can count on all the favorite sights and sounds. And once again, ABC 11 is the presenting sponsor. can watch it on air, Hulu, or wherever you stream ABC 11. All right, we're counting down to that. And Don says there's a little chill in the air outside. Some people might be in the 30s tonight. Oh, I've got to go get my hoodie. That's why I started to grow the fuzz.

Okay. Got to get warmed up as we go into the cold nights. As a matter of fact, some folks are already in the 30s. We'll show you the numbers in just a moment. Let's talk about the mornings over the next six days. I want to first alert you to those temperatures slowly going up. But tomorrow 41, the official number. in Raleigh, but we're already seeing some 30s out there tonight.

Let's talk about the next big thing. And what's one big thing to take away from tonight's forecast? You only jackets in the mornings over the next couple of days. You're not needing the rain jackets tonight. We're live on First Lerth Doppler there. We are dry. Self-Hop Kemp downtown Fayetteville. You're still holding on to the 50s.

If we look at Maniota Murphy tonight, we're seeing 40s on the board. 45 now down at ECU, 44 Chase City, 49, the triad, 45 in Lumberton. Charlotte's a warm spot on the map in North Carolina tonight at 60 degrees. Look at some of our numbers tonight. We'll drop down into the 40s for lows and even 30s. 38, Roxborough, 39 in Sanford, 42 for you in Carborough, 41 down in Clinton. We look at the fitness forecast tomorrow.

If you head out the door for a walk or run, may have to bundle up early. Those temperatures in the 50s climbing into the 70s will top out tomorrow right around 70s. degrees on your forecast for Raleigh, 69 Durham, Fayetteville, 72, looking at the first alert seven-day forecast powered by Accuilather. Friday, a sunny, seasonal, typical temperatures for this time of year, 70 degrees. Saturday, a little breezy, 68, but not bad, just a few clouds working through on Sunday, 70. If you're headed down to the RDC Marathon, ABC 11, a proud sponsor of that in the morning. Looks like great running weather there. By the afternoon, we end the state fair at around 70. should be a great afternoon.

Monday 71, Tuesday. The Canes finally coming home after another victory tonight on the road. 74. Great day for tailgating. Wednesday, 72 and Thursday, 73. Under partly cloudy skies. And by the way, this no shave November,

I'm starting early. You can find out more about it on all of my social media. Guys. All right. Don, doing something good. Don, thank you. Still ahead.

Solving a Rubik's Cube is a pretty difficult feat. So some enterprising. engineering students decided to build a robot to solve it for them. We've got the latest on their speedy creation that's challenging some big time records. And remember, you can watch eyewitness news live on ABC 11, Disney Plus, and wherever you stream. Lock unlimited free grocery delivery with PC Express Pass. Shop online and get the same low, No Frills prices delivered. Get your first year of PC Express Pass for just $2.50 a month.

Learn more at nofrills.ca. The new Subaru Cross Trek Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient cross-track yet. That means less time filling your tank and more time filling your day. More court time. More ride time. More lake time. More camp time. More go time.

The new 2027 Subaru Cross-Trek hybrid. Consumer Reports top-rated subcompact SUV. Stop by your local Subaru dealership or visit Subaru.ca to learn more. Consumer Reports is not indoors products or services. eyewitness news. We are local news weeknights four to six 30 and 11. All right, we're back now with tonight's top trending stories in real news. First, take a look at this. It's a robot solving a four by four Rubik's Cube in less than 10 seconds, which some engineering students in New Zealand hope might be a new world record.

Yeah, the current best robot time for this larger version of the standard cube is 45 seconds, according to Guinness. But these students in the University of Canterbury figured they do something better, building a bot with four cameras that feeds an algorithm to work out the moves and high-speed motors whip up that solution. After showcasing its speed for an audience, the team now has to wait to see if their record gets certified. Good luck to them. All right, next, let's say hypothetically you need to make a quick getaway. You could try cartwheeling like a snake. Yeah, this thing's pretty wild.

In action, this is in super slow-mo right here. Researchers just documented the dwarf reed snake and its unique escape method. When it needs to take off, it pops itself into the air and roll. holes. Researchers originally spotted it in the wild and Borneo and they say the acrobatic escape method is four times faster than the snake's traditional way of slithering around. All right. Next we go to a group with a special baseball wish, Barry good luck to the brewers. Yeah, Wisconsin cranberry growers making a message to their Milwaukee Brewers as they head to the World Series. That small group of farmers took a break from harvesting to corral millions of floating cranberries into the shape of a baseball. glove. The design spans 100 feet by 115 feet, weighing about 35,000 pounds. Wisconsin provides more than half of the world supply of the crimson red fruit, making the state the world champ of

cranberries. And now they hope their brewers will become World Series champs. It all starts tomorrow as they face the Tampa Bay raise in Milwaukee. You like that, Trey? I do like that. How about the New York Knicks ending at 50s? delivery with PC Express Pass. Shop online and get the same low No Frills prices delivered. Get your first year of PC Express Pass for just $2.50 a month. Learn more at nofrills.com. The new Subaru Cross Trek Hybrid is the most fuel efficient cross trek yet. That means less time filling your tank and more time filling your day. More court time, more ride time, more lake time, more camp time, more go time. The new 2027 Subaru Cross Trek Hybrid.

Consumer Reports, top-rated subcompact SUV. Stop by your local Subaru dealership or visit Subaru.ca to learn more. Consumer Reports is not indoors products or services. College football, football sports in one night. Lots of good highlight. It's great weather to go with this. That's right. Yeah.

Trey, thank you. And thank you at home for watching. That's going to do it for us here tonight. Remember, we are always on at ABC11.com. Disney Plus and wherever you stream. We're hoping to see you back here tomorrow night. Good night. Unlock unlimited free grocery delivery with PC Express Pass.

Shop online and get the same low No Frills prices delivered. Get your first year of PC Express Pass for just $2.50 a month. Learn more at nofrills.ca.