Overview

• Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was convicted of raping and murdering Rachel Morin in August 2023 during her jog on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland.
• The jury deliberated for less than an hour after a nine-day trial, finding Martinez-Hernandez guilty on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and kidnapping.
• DNA evidence played a pivotal role in linking Martinez-Hernandez to the crime, with samples found on Morin’s body and personal belongings.
• Martinez-Hernandez, who entered the U.S. illegally in early 2023, has also been linked to violent crimes in El Salvador and Los Angeles before the murder.
• Sentencing is pending a psychosexual evaluation and background investigation, with prosecutors seeking the maximum penalty of life imprisonment without parole.