The Harford County, Maryland, prosecutor said the rape and murder of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, which he blamed on a fleeing illegal immigrant, was the most horrific case in the county’s history.
Morin was last seen on August 5, 2023, going for a walk on the Mama & Papa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland. When she didn’t return home, her boyfriend, Richard Tobin, reported her missing. Her body was found the next day on the side of the trail.
On June 15, 2024, the Tulsa Police Department Announced Police announced the arrest of Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, 23, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador with ties to the MS-13 gang, in connection with Morin’s rape and murder, as well as the assault of a 9-year-old girl and her mother in Los Angeles, California.
Harford County prosecutors have since detail Morin was found with 10 to 15 wounds to her head in a brutal rape and brutal murder. Martinez Hernandez allegedly raped and strangled her.
Martinez Hernandez is one of roughly 2 million illegal immigrant fugitives who have managed to cross the southern border without being detected by Border Patrol under President Joe Biden’s watch.
“Biden’s first day in office was to repeal every executive order that Trump issued to secure the border,” Maureen’s half-sister, Erin Maureen Layman, told Fox News.[Biden] “They stopped construction of the wall. If you ask me, the Biden administration has Rachel Morin’s blood on its hands.”
“This was all preventable and it’s just disgusting,” Layman continued. “How many more incidents like this are going to happen? It’s really sad and no one is safe. This isn’t the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last.”
Border Patrol agents arrested Martinez-Hernandez three times in 2023 — twice in January in New Mexico and Texas, and once in February in New Mexico. Each time, he was deported back to Mexico.
Shortly after his last deportation to Mexico, Martinez-Hernandez crossed the border into California, where he allegedly assaulted a woman and her child, then traveled to Maryland, where he is accused of raping and murdering Morin.
Before crossing the border, Martinez Hernandez was accused of murdering a woman in his native El Salvador after leaving a bar with the victim, whose body was found days later.
A few days after Martinez-Hernandez’s arrest, former President Donald Trump called Morin’s family to offer his condolences. The call lasted about 30 minutes, Layman said.
“[Trump] It was truly heartfelt and sincere,” Layman said.
That’s very much appreciated. Her name is mentioned at his meetings…“If Rachel’s story can make a difference, if it can change people’s minds and inspire them to protect our borders and keep our country safe, I think she would be honored.” We just pray that this crime will stop… people coming into the country that are involved with gangs, sex, human trafficking, drugs… there are a lot of problems with this and it has to stop. [Emphasis added]
Layman said the “hardest thing” she’s had to do since Maureen’s murder was to take her sister’s two youngest children to the grave on Mother’s Day.
“No eight- or 10-year-old should have to visit their mother’s grave on Mother’s Day,” she said.
Martinez-Hernandez is being held without bail in the Harford County Detention Center. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a detention order against him, requesting that he be held if released at any time.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter. here.
