Illegal immigrant found guilty in murder of Maryland woman

A jury in Maryland has found Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, guilty on all counts in the 2023 murder of Rachel Morin.

Martinez-Hernandez, 24, was convicted Monday of first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree rape, third-degree sexual assault, and kidnapping, according to WBAL. The verdict came after less than 50 minutes of jury deliberation.

Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, went missing on August 5, 2023, after going for a jog along the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air. Her body was discovered the next day.

A Maryland State Police DNA analyst later testified that Martinez-Hernandez’s DNA was the only male profile found on Morin or on evidence recovered from the crime scene.

During the trial, jurors heard from numerous witnesses and saw footage of the defendant’s arrest in Oklahoma, where he was taken into custody in June 2024 after evading capture for nearly a year. Prosecutors presented evidence that placed him in the Bel Air area for five months before and after Morin’s death, and one witness testified that Martinez-Hernandez had hidden in the woods with a shovel.

“This person, who took Rachel’s life in such a horrific way, will be removed from society and never allowed to harm another human being again,” Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.

Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey said the state will seek the maximum penalty, potentially exceeding life without parole. Sentencing is expected at a later date.

Healey and Sheriff Gahler both criticized the U.S. immigration policies during the Biden administration, noting that Martinez-Hernandez entered the country illegally and had committed previous crimes in Los Angeles before relocating to Maryland.