A Harford County grand jury on Tuesday indicted a man in the killing of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who went missing while on a walk in 2023 on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air.
Victor Martinez-Hernandez, 23, is charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree rape, third-degree sex offense and kidnapping. He’s being held without bail in the Harford County Detention Center.
“This is a significant step toward achieving justice for Rachel Morin and holding the defendant accountable for this heinous crime,” Randolph Rice, an attorney who’s representing the Morin family, said in a statement. “We will continue to work tirelessly to support Rachel’s family and ensure that their voice is heard throughout the legal proceedings.”
Morin’s boyfriend, Richard Tobin, reported her missing after she did not return from a walk on Aug. 5, 2023.
Her body was found the following day.
Law enforcement used DNA and genetic genealogy to tie Martinez-Hernandez to the killing. Police arrested him on June 14 at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and he later waived extradition.
Martinez-Hernandez is from El Salvador and made it across the border near El Paso, Texas, around Feb. 13, 2023. U.S. Customs and Border Protection captured him three previous times after he illegally entered the United States.
The case has received national attention.
Former President Donald Trump called Patty Morin, Rachel Morin’s mother, to offer his condolences. Meanwhile, Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, and former Gov. Larry Hogan, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Maryland, have also reached out, the family’s attorney reported.
The Maryland Office of the Public Defender declined to comment.
Martinez-Hernandez is scheduled to make his initial appearance on July 22 in Harford County Circuit Court.
