The mother of a Maryland jogger who prosecutors say died at the hands of an illegal immigrant with a long history of attacks on women and girls faced her suspected killer for the first time in court Friday.
Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, 23, kidnapped Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, from a running track near her home, brutally assaulted her, and then dumped her body in a culvert. He has been charged with concealment.
Randolph Rice, a lawyer for Morin's family, said Martinez Hernandez wore a striped prison jumpsuit, was handcuffed and shackled, and relied on a Spanish interpreter throughout the trial. It was his first appearance in court after appearing virtually in other courtrooms.
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Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, 23, arrived in Maryland. He is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in the death of Rachel Morin on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, Maryland. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/Getty Images)
“Seeing Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez enter the courtroom with a calm, emotionless expression on his face only deepens the pain that Rachel Morin's family is feeling,” Rice told FOX News Digital. “This man is accused of taking Rachel's life in a brutal and horrifying way, yet his demeanor shows no remorse whatsoever.”
He avoided eye contact with his grieving mother, Patty, other family members, and even prosecutors.
“It's upsetting to think that if our borders had been properly secured, if DNA fingerprinting laws had been followed, this family would not have endured this nightmare,” Rice added. “This tragedy was preventable. Today's court appearance is a stark reminder to America of the failures of our current immigration system that allowed this man to go undetected until it was too late.”
Rachel Morin was dragged off a hiking trail and brutally murdered on August 5, 2023. (Handouts for families)
The arrival of the murder suspect “brought overwhelming sadness and grief on Patty Morin,” Rice said, adding that she burst into tears as she took the stand.
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Martinez Hernandez revealed in court that he dropped out of school after seventh grade. When he first entered the United States illegally in 2023, he was already accused of killing a woman in his native El Salvador.
Victor Hernandez-Martinez was charged with raping and murdering Rachel Morin on August 5, 2023 in Bel Air, Maryland. (Hartford County Sheriff's Office/Tulsa Police Department)
A border “fugitive” allegedly raped a California mother and her 9-year-old daughter in their home before heading to Maryland.
Martinez-Hernandez waived her right to a speedy trial and also waived any potential conflict of interest that may have arisen because Morin's boyfriend was once represented by the same public defender.
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“Today's postponement was not unexpected. We have been preparing families for a lengthy legal process,” Rice said in a statement. “The family is strong and we are positive about this situation, knowing that justice will take time. We remain committed to ensuring Rachel's memory is honored and justice is served. .”
Patti Morin (right) testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., about border policy and the death of her daughter Rachel in Harford County, Maryland. Alexis Nangaray (left) testifies about the murder of her daughter Jocelyn in Houston, Texas. Police say this was also the work of a suspected illegal immigrant. (Jeff Barker/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
After the waiver, the judge set a series of new trial dates. The motion hearing is January 31, 2025, the pretrial conference is March 31, and the new trial date is April 1. The hearing is expected to last two weeks.
Patti Morin visited Capitol Hill last month to try to get lawmakers to take the border crisis more seriously.
Morin told the House Judiciary Committee that if routine procedures had been followed, such as taking photos and taking DNA swabs of Martinez-Hernandez when she was stopped at the border, her daughter might still be alive. He said it was sexual.
Interpol had already issued a warrant for his arrest when he came to the United States.
“I think there are some people who don't care about this because they just think it's partisan, but they're Americans,” Morin told lawmakers at the hearing. “We need to close our borders. … If people are coming across the border, if they're coming illegally, it's because they're hiding something.”
On September 10, 2024, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D.Y.) bows his head and closes his eyes as an aide looks into his cell phone during Congressional testimony for the mothers of murder victims. (Kathy Groenewald)
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Representative Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, appeared to nod his head during the hearing.
“What I really want to know is that the American people, their congressmen, their senators, their president…everyone actually listens to us, listens to our words, and what we have to say. I want you to listen to me and accept me.' I'll keep that in mind,” Morin later told FOX News Digital.
“It's hard to get the message across to them in words, because they already have this idea that this is political, that they're either pro-immigration or anti-immigration. If you do it right, I don't think Americans are against immigration.”
