This week, an indictment was issued for an alleged illegal immigrant accused of the brutal rape and murder of Rachel Morin. The Maryland grand jury voted to formally charge Victor Martinez Hernandez with two counts of murder, two counts of rape, one count each of sex offense and kidnapping for the horrifying 2023 attack on the mother of five.
The indictment marks a crucial step in pursuing justice for Rachel Morin and her family, according to attorney Randolph Rice. This significant step towards achieving justice for Morin aims to hold the defendant accountable for this heinous crime.
Martinez Hernandez was arrested at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last month after a nationwide manhunt for the El Salvador native, who is currently being held without bond. Officials revealed that Martinez Hernandez, believed to have gang ties, fled his home country in February 2023 after a warrant was issued for another murder in El Salvador.
He made three unsuccessful attempts to enter the United States before succeeding on Feb. 13, 2023, near El Paso, Texas. Prosecutors and police allege that Martinez Hernandez also assaulted a 9-year-old girl and her mother during a Los Angeles home invasion in March before targeting Morin on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, Maryland, on August 5th.
He is accused of dragging her off the path, brutally beating her, leaving more than 10 gashes on her head, and then strangling her to death. Her body was discovered in a drainage tunnel, covered in bruises. Morin’s mother, Patty Morin, who lives in Harford County, continues to agonize over the tragic and violent circumstances of her daughter’s final moments.
Martinez Hernandez is set to appear back in Harford County Circuit Court on July 22nd. His court-appointed attorney, Marcus Jenkins, has yet to comment on the case.
