A Maryland jury has convicted Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, an undocumented immigrant, of the murder of Rachel Morin, a mother of five. The verdict follows a trial focused on the brutal killing that occurred in August 2023.
Morin, 37, was jogging along the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air when she was ambushed and fatally attacked by Martinez-Hernandez. Authorities state she suffered extensive injuries including 15 to 20 blows to the head, ultimately succumbing to a combination of strangulation and blunt force trauma.
The prosecution’s case concluded Friday, with the defense presenting their arguments in under ten minutes before closing statements were delivered.
“This has been an emotionally grueling experience for Rachel’s family, but they remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice,”
said Randolph Rice, the Morin family’s attorney.
The family has attended every day of the trial and is expected to remain until its conclusion.
Witnesses who were searching for Morin along the Ma & Pa Trail described discovering a trail resembling animal tracks – flattened leaves and rocks stained with blood. Following this unusual pattern, they found her body in an area obscured by thick foliage within tunnels adjacent to the trail.
Evan Knapp, one of the witnesses, recounted his experience: “I saw an unclothed human body on her back. At first, I truly thought it might have been a deer or something that had died in there… So, I had to move a bit closer to confirm what I had seen, and it was a human. I feel like time froze for a second and I didn’t know what I was looking at.”
Martinez-Hernandez, originally from El Salvador, is accused of fleeing Maryland after the murder. Law enforcement eventually located him in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was taken into custody. DNA evidence recovered at the crime scene linked him to the attack.
According to authorities, Martinez-Hernandez entered the United States illegally in February 2023. Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler stated that this may not have been his first act of violence:
“We all suspected that Rachel was not his first victim.”
Further investigation revealed a prior DNA match linked Martinez-Hernandez to a home invasion and assault in Los Angeles, California, which occurred the previous March. Officials believe he fled El Salvador after committing a similar crime there in January 2023.
- January 2023: Alleged murder in El Salvador
- March 2023: Home invasion and assault in Los Angeles, California
- February 2023: Illegally entered the United States
- August 2023: Murder of Rachel Morin in Bel Air, Maryland
