OAN’s Brooke Mallory
Monday, June 17, 2024 3:09 PM
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the suspect in the tragic murder of hiker Rachel Morin reportedly signed a waiver Friday allowing Harford County law enforcement to extradite him to Maryland for trial.
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Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said charges against Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, 23, who entered the country illegally last year, will begin as soon as he arrives in Harford County.
“Rachel’s killer is no longer a free man, and hopefully he will never have the opportunity to be free again,” Gahler said.
“Victor Hernandez didn’t come here to better his life or his family’s. He came here to escape the crimes that were committed in El Salvador,” he added. “He came here and he killed Rachel. And, God willing, he wouldn’t have killed anyone else. But that should never have been allowed to happen.”
Harford County State’s Attorney Allison Healey announced at a press conference Saturday that she will be handling the prosecution of Martinez-Hernandez.
On Monday, the Tulsa County Clerk of Court confirmed that Martinez-Hernandez has the option to appoint an attorney or have one appointed for him. The court maintained that information about Martinez-Hernandez’s legal counsel was not available as of Monday.
In addition to receiving a detention order from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a detention order from the state of Maryland for his murder, Maurin is currently being held without bail in the Tulsa County Jail. Authorities have charged him with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in connection with Maurin’s death after his DNA was found at the scene of her murder.
“Morin’s boyfriend reported the 37-year-old mother of five missing when she didn’t return home from a walk on Aug. 5. Morin’s body was discovered the following day. Her death quickly attracted national attention, and detectives worked to identify a suspect and a motive,” the report said. The Baltimore Sun Exit.
Police linked DNA found at the scene of Morin’s death to “an unknown male who robbed a 9-year-old girl and her mother in Los Angeles,” and launched a murder investigation. It is unclear why police did not release his name, given that he had already been arrested and released.
Events in support of Morin’s family have been organised, information leaflets have been distributed and a $35,000 reward was offered in February for clues leading to an arrest.
May 20NumberOn Nov. 24, Morin’s birthday, Gahler announced that agents had finally found the main suspect, Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, a Salvadoran national who illegally crossed the southern border during President Joe Biden’s term in office.
FBI Special Agent in Charge William Delbaño of the Baltimore office said DNA was used to track down possible relatives of Martinez-Hernandez in El Salvador, and agents subsequently traveled to the country to continue the investigation and confirm his identity and location.
Gahler said investigators also found that Martinez-Hernandez allegedly raped and murdered another young woman in El Salvador in January 2023, one month before traveling to the United States.
The previous murder in El Salvador and allegations that Martinez-Hernandez had ties to Salvadoran street gangs led to the issuance of an Interpol “Red Notice,” a global request for law enforcement agencies to track down and arrest an individual.
Martinez-Hernandez was spotted at a Tulsa sports bar last Friday night, where he was quickly arrested and charged.
Martinez-Hernandez has not been charged in Tulsa County, according to Tulsa County Police Public Information Officer Katie Kelleher. Instead, he is scheduled to appear in court on July 1.st for a Harford County bail review hearing.
Harford County State’s Attorney Kaylin Lyden said the state will argue that Martinez-Hernandez should be held without bail. Lyden added that the case will be presented to a grand jury “as soon as possible” to seek indictment.
The indictment in this case has not yet been released to the media.
“Neither Immigration and Customs Enforcement nor the Department of Homeland Security responded to The Washington Post’s requests for comment Monday to clarify why Martinez-Hernandez was allowed to remain in the U.S.” New York Post report.
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