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Victor Martinez-Hernandez Convicted in Rape and Murder of Rachel Morin

A Maryland jury found the Salvadoran national guilty of first-degree murder and rape in the 2023 killing, concluding a high-profile trial fueled by forensic evidence and national debate on immigration policies.

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Patty Morin and her family lead a prayer walk to honor her daughter Rachel on the one year mark since her murder on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail last August (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies posted signs at each Ma & Pa Trail head announcing the arrest in the Rachel Morin homicide investigation. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

Overview

  • Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and related charges in the brutal 2023 killing of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five, after less than an hour of jury deliberation.
  • The prosecution's case relied heavily on DNA evidence found on Morin’s body, Apple Watch, and at the crime scene, as well as digital forensic reconstruction of her destroyed iPhone XR to establish the timeline of the attack.
  • Martinez-Hernandez, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2023, was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2024 after being linked to the crime through familial DNA tracing and investigative efforts.
  • Rachel Morin was ambushed, raped, and killed while jogging on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland, with autopsy results confirming her death was caused by blunt force trauma and strangulation.
  • The case has drawn national attention, with figures like Donald Trump using the verdict to criticize immigration policies, and Morin's family advocating for tighter border security and justice for victims of violent crimes.