Opening statements were delivered Friday in the trial for the 2023 murder of Rachel Morin, a mother of five found dead on Maryland’s Bel Air trail.
Morin’s mother, Patricia, listened with tears in her eyes as prosecutors recounted the circumstances of the crime, Maryland’s Hartford County court in Bel Air, where suspect Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez stands accused of murdering and raping Morin.
Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey told the jury that Morin left her home for a jog and never returned. Healey explained how volunteers discovered Morin’s body by following a 150-foot bloody trail where the killer had dragged her, FOX News Digital reports.
As previously reported by CrimeOnline, Morin, 37, was found dead in a drainage ditch along Bel Air’s Ma and Pa hiking trail on August 6, 2023, a day after her boyfriend reported her missing.
On June 15, 2024, investigators announced the arrest of Martinez-Hernandez, 24, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The arrest followed a 10-month investigation that included the use of investigative genetic genealogy, local and federal officials said at a press conference.
Martinez-Hernandez allegedly entered the United States illegally in February 2023 after killing a woman in El Salvador. Officials stated he attempted to cross the border three times before successfully entering near El Paso, Texas, on his fourth attempt.
The trial against Martinez-Hernandez is expected to continue until April 16. He could face a life sentence without parole for charges of first-degree murder and rape, The Independent reported.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Rachel Morin/Facebook]
