Victor Martinez-Hernandez Responsible of Rachel Morin’s Brutal Homicide

On Monday, a jury discovered Victor Martinez-Hernandez responsible of first-degree premeditated homicide, first-degree rape, third-degree sexual assault and kidnapping. The decision comes after Martinez-Hernandez pleaded not responsible and refused to testify in his personal protection this morning, with prosecutors resting their case on Friday.

Morin’s physique was discovered on the Ma & Pa Heritage mountaineering path in Bel Air, Maryland in August 2023, after she did not return from a run. 37 on the time of her dying, Morin was a mom of 5.

Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an undocumented migrant from El Salvador allegedly linked to a different homicide there, was arrested for Morin’s slaying on June 14, 2024 at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma … due to suggestions and DNA monitoring.

Martinez-Hernandez’s protection staff solely known as one witness, a digital forensic examiner who reportedly spoke about Morin’s search historical past earlier than her dying.

Prosecutors, in the meantime, known as various witnesses after the trial started Friday, April 4. All through the final week, Morin’s daughters and boyfriend testified about her conduct earlier than her homicide and their seek for her after she went lacking. Quite a few detectives, locals who discovered Morin’s physique, in addition to the suspect’s relations, additionally took the stand, detailing the case towards Martinez-Hernandez, the crime scene and his whereabouts after the homicide.

Through the trial, Harford County State’s Lawyer Alison Healey stated Morin stopped responding to relations on August 5, 2023 after going out for a run. Her boyfriend, Richard Tobin, went to the path to search for her and, when he could not discover her, known as police. These on the lookout for her reportedly discovered a 150-foot path of blood resulting in her physique — with Healey saying Morin was “left to die in a puddle of water” in a culvert, her blood on its partitions, in line with the Baltimore Banner.

FOX Information experiences Healey stated Morin’s proper shoe and socks have been left on, whereas her bra had been pulled over her breasts. Per the prosecutor, she had 15-20 head wounds, a few of which have been “deep,” whereas she confirmed indicators of strangulation. Blood-covered rocks and sticks have been collected as proof, as have been her smashed cellphone and smartwatch.

In keeping with Healey, DNA on the scene helped investigators construct a profile, main them to a house the place Martinez-Hernandez lived with household round December 2023. Members of the family supplied authorities with a cellphone quantity and Fb account, earlier than police used the cellphone to trace Martinez-Hernandez to Tulsa, the place he was ultimately apprehended.

On his cellphone, investigators allegedly discovered searches for “Bel Air,” “Rachel” and an incorrect spelling of Morin’s final identify, per Healey. He additionally allegedly denied ever being in Maryland.

Two of Morin’s daughters have been the primary to testify, one in every of them reportedly crying as she detailed the day their mom went lacking and Tobin calling the police.

Tobin additionally took the stand, reportedly saying he had requested Morin to formally be his girlfriend simply 5 days earlier than her homicide, after speaking for about 5 months. He reportedly admitted his first thought was that Morin was dishonest on him when she failed to answer his texts and calls. He additionally stated he gave his cellphone and DNA samples to police.

Detective Michael Wilsynski gave perception into what he noticed when he responded to the scene.

He testified, through the Baltimore Solar, to seeing gashes on the back and front of the sufferer’s head, in addition to “defensive wounds” on her wrists, which have been bruised. He stated it was “apparent this was not a slip and fall harm,” in line with CBS Information, however as an alternative “a critical assault.” Per CBS, pictures of her physique “shocked the courtroom, even leaving members of the jury wide-eyed,” as Wilsynski claimed she had a damaged fingernail and disfigured finger, and that fly eggs have been discovered on her physique.

Footage of the scene additionally confirmed blood spatter on the tunnel partitions the place she was discovered, in addition to her destroyed cellphone and Apple AirPod headphones.

One other witness described seeing “a person within the woods, simply on the market” on the day Morin was killed. “I feel he felt like he obtained caught, so to talk,” stated Kyle Stacy — including that he and his girlfriend walked previous Morin, who was alone, thirty seconds later.

Members of the family of Martinez-Hernandez testified he was in Maryland in 2023, forsaking garments, a toothbrush and blanket which they later turned over to authorities. He then allegedly moved to Bel Air, the place he labored at a Popeye’s shortly earlier than Morin’s homicide — and, per a roommate who testified, abruptly moved out that summer time.

The suspect’s DNA was was allegedly discovered on Morin’s wrist, neck and Apple watch. After he was arrested, interrogation video proven through the trial reportedly confirmed him denying ever being in Maryland or understanding the identify Rachel Morin — this after a digital forensics supervisor stated he had searches on his cellphone associated to “Rachel” and “Moring,” in addition to the Spanish time period for assassin.

Harford County detective Phil Golden testified that Martinez-Hernandez informed him he did not understand how his DNA obtained to the scene — recalling the suspect saying, “if somebody wished to do him hurt, they might have taken his DNA and put it someplace.”