The long-awaited trial for Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, the man accused of murdering Rachel Morin, is set to begin this week. Jury selection starts Monday, with opening arguments scheduled for Friday.
Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, disappeared in August 2023 after leaving her Maryland home for a hike. Her boyfriend reported her missing that night, and authorities later found her car near the entrance of the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air. The following day, her body was discovered, and DNA evidence recovered from the scene linked her murder to a suspect already in a national law enforcement database.
Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal migrant from El Salvador, faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape. Authorities allege he brutally beat, raped, and killed Morin. Her mother, testifying before Congress, revealed that Morin’s injuries were so severe that morticians were unable to make her recognizable for her funeral.
Martinez-Hernandez has a disturbing criminal record. Police in El Salvador suspect him of another murder, and in the U.S., California authorities allege he raped a woman and her 9-year-old daughter during a violent home invasion. He had an active Interpol warrant at the time he entered the U.S. and had previously been turned away by Border Patrol three times before successfully sneaking into the country.
After a ten-month manhunt, authorities captured him in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2024. He was extradited to Maryland and is also subject to an ICE detainer. As the trial begins, the case continues to draw national attention due to its brutal nature and the suspect’s history of illegal crossings and violent crime.
