Rachel Morin’s killer mooched off Maryland local before killing mom of 5

The lawyer of the Rachel Morin household says that the trial in opposition to her assassin is proof of ruthless legislation enforcement and a devastating indictment in opposition to immigration errors in order that her assassin may kill the mom of Maryland of 5.

Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an unlawful immigrant from El Salvador, was discovered responsible of raping and murdering Morin in August 2023. The jury returned a unanimous judgment in 46 minutes after a trial of every week after a weekly size that adopted the graphic particulars of the crime and crosss-courts.

“After 19 months of going by way of this nightmare of shedding Rachel, we now have a judgment,” Randolph Rice, Morin’s household lawyer, informed Fox Information Digital. “Victor Martinez-Hernandez is responsible on all factors.”

Rachel Morin Homicide: Jury finds unlawful immigrant responsible of killing Jogger

Victor Martinez-Hernandez was discovered responsible of raping and murdering of Rachel Morin in Maryland in August 2022. (Tulsa Police Division/Fb)

The lawyer, established in Baltimore, mentioned that the migrant was a “wanderer” who used the folks with whom he was staying.

“What we additionally discovered was that he actually had no connections with that neighborhood, besides that he may need had a couple of folks he knew from El Salvador when he was a small little one, and apparently he appeared like he was banking the place he may discover a home,” mentioned Rice.

“He was a troublemaker. He was a wanderer who didn’t pay for something and was lastly kicked residence from that bell,” he mentioned. “Though they bought him jobs, he was simply ingesting on the bar.”

Entry to the MA & PA Path in Maryland (Google Maps)

The trail of the Salvadoran Migrant led him to the Ma & Pa Path in Bel Air, a picturesque neighborhood northeast of Baltimore, on August 14, 2023.

“She was attacked and dragged right into a tunnel. Her Apple Watch later turned a vital piece of proof, through which the suspect was instantly linked to the crime scene,” mentioned Rice.

Witnesses described after blood paths that finally led to the stays of Morin. Forensic groups later recovered DNA from her physique, the tunnel wall and different surrounding proof.

Rachel Morin’s alleged unlawful assassin left the physique of the killed jogger alongside 150-foot blood path

They described a path with flattened leaves earlier than they discovered rocks with blood on it. The 2 witnesses ran by way of two tunnels with overgrown brush, the place they discovered the physique of Morin.

“I noticed an uncluded human physique on her again. To start with I actually thought it is perhaps a deer or one thing that had died there,” Evan Knapp testified, who discovered Morin’s physique. “So I needed to get a little bit nearer to verify what I had seen, and it was an individual. I really feel frozen for a second and I did not know what I used to be taking a look at.”

Evan Knapp testifies within the homicide strategy of Victor Martinez-Hernandez within the Harford County Courthouse in Bel Air, MD., On April 4, 2025. (Dana Calling)

Knapp and his pal, Cecilia, instantly referred to as 911. Authorities withdrew the trail the place Morin’s physique was dragged behind her rape and homicide. The police additionally collected giant bloody rocks that the authorities mentioned they have been used to hit her cranium.

Post-mortem outcomes revealed that Morin had handed 15 to twenty strokes on the pinnacle and died of a mixture of strangulation and blunt energy trauma. Her demise was official dominated a homicide.

Victor Martinez-Hernandez was convicted of raping and killing Rachel Morin in Maryland on August 5, 2023. (Tulsa Police Division/Fb)

Rice mentioned that this was a “crime to be prevented” {that a} flash level within the presidential race of 2024 with immigration fell in entrance of and within the center.

“This was a criminal offense to be prevented since you had an individual who shouldn’t have been in the USA.”

– Randolph Rice, managing accomplice at Rice Regulation

“And actually he was stopped 3 times on the border. He was introduced again to Mexico. After which he lastly crosses a fourth time in El Paso, Texas. After which he goes on his look of crimes in the USA, beginning in Los Angeles.

View: Victor Martinez-Hernandez arrest

Rice praised the dedication of legislation enforcement and famous that researchers mixed DNA certificates, digital monitoring and social media directions to seek out the suspect. He was finally arrested in a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Homicide of Rachel Morin: former FBI agent reveals how the conquest of unlawful immigrant suspect has gone out

“He had saved screenshots of press releases concerning the homicide of Rachel on his telephone,” mentioned Rice. “He knew it was simply approaching.”

Even supposing the DNA was as soon as in Maryland, the DNA of Martinez-Hernandez was linked to a number of sources on the crime scene.

Rachel Morin was discovered lifeless on a mountaineering path. She was lacking by her pal, Richard Tobin, on the far proper. (Fb)

Morin, 37, left 5 kids behind. Her 14-year-old daughter was the primary witness to testify final week and fights in opposition to tears as she described her mom’s disappearance.

“It is a scary reminiscence of how cautious we must be after we are on the street,” mentioned Rice. “Rachel by no means knew this man. It was fully random.”

Martinez-Hernandez will probably be convicted and will expertise life in jail with out the potential of conditional launch. Fox Information Digital reached for his lawyer.

Patty Morin, left, mom of Rachel Morin, is proven in the course of the Each day Press briefing within the White Home on April 16, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Photographs)

With seen emotion, Morin’s mom, Patty Morin, spoke as a particular visitor at Wednesday’s press convention within the White Home, through which he personally shared testimony concerning the pressing have to take away prison migrants from the nation.

“These are the form of criminals that President Trump needs to take away from our nation. These are the form of criminals that we have now to take away from our nation. We’re Americans,” she mentioned. “Why would we permit these sorts of individuals, violent criminals who don’t have any conscience in any respect, to kill our moms, our sisters, our daughters?”

“I do not perceive why there may be even any downside with this. … We’ve got to guard our households, our boundaries, our youngsters,” she mentioned.

White Home Pers Secretary Karoline Leavitt, accompanied by Patty Morin, mom of Rachel Morin, left, has a briefing on April 16, 2025. (Pool)

The Ministry of Justice’s legal professionals mentioned they weren’t conscious of Maryland Immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s place of residence after he had been deported to an El Salvadoran jail final month. (Fox Information)

Rice hit Senator Chris van Hollen, D-MD., For touring to El Salvador on Wednesday to verify for the state of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 39-year-old who was deported to the El Salvadoran Mega Jail referred to as the Terrorism Confinement Heart for an alleged claimed middle MS-13 Bendel memberThough his legal professionals declare that he has no bin ties.

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“So evidently he pays extra consideration to an unlawful immigrant than he’s to a Maryland and American citizen, Rachel Morin,” Rice mentioned. “That is loopy … it is only a no-brainer. You’re right here to guard People and Marylanders. And he’s extra involved to go to El Salvador and produce again an unlawful immigrant who’s a gang member.”

After Martinez-Hernandez was convicted of the homicide of Morin, Van Hollen mentioned in an announcement that he was grateful to legislation enforcement and referred to as for “significant motion” to reform “our damaged immigration system”.

“We will do that whereas we additionally help our immigrant communities and respect the rights of people who’re legally right here – I’m devoted to do each, and I’ll proceed to press my colleagues on each side of the aisle to proceed with this situation,” Van Hollen mentioned.

Charles Creitz of Fox Information Digital has contributed to this report.