Victor Martinez Hernandez, a 23-year-old undocumented migrant, is accused of murdering Rachel Morin. Court documents obtained by WJZ reveal that Martinez Hernandez was staying with family in Maryland during the nationwide manhunt. He is facing charges for the murder and rape of Morin in August 2023 on Harford County’s Ma & Pa Trail.
Martinez Hernandez’s family told detectives that he had been staying with them from December 2023 until May 2024. He was arrested on June 14 at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was extradited to Maryland on Thursday.
According to the documents, Martinez Hernandez left his family’s home in early May, leaving behind two bags of clothing and a pair of shoes. Morin, a mother of five, was reported missing on August 5, 2023, after going for a walk on the trail and not returning home. Her car was found at the trail parking lot, and she was found dead, apparently beaten to death and sexually assaulted.
DNA swabs recovered from the items Martinez Hernandez left behind matched the DNA recovered from the crime scene. Investigators have not disclosed how long Martinez Hernandez was in Maryland.
Martinez Hernandez fled El Salvador in February 2023 after an arrest warrant was issued for the murder of a young woman. He attempted to illegally cross into the United States three times before succeeding on the fourth attempt on February 13, 2023.
Officials say Martinez Hernandez attacked a 9-year-old girl during a home invasion in Los Angeles in March 2023. DNA recovered from that crime scene matched what was found at Morin’s crime scene five months later.
“Our investigative genetic genealogy team in Baltimore worked countless hours to identify the suspect by using crime scene DNA and tracing that DNA to potential family members,” said Special Agent in Charge Bill DelBagno from the FBI’s Baltimore field office.