Man suspected of killing Rachel Morin charged with murder and assault, held without bond

Baltimore — A judge ruled that the suspect accused of killing Rachel Morin should be detained without bail on Friday.

The suspect, Victor Martinez Hernandez, who authorities claim is in the country illegally, is charged with the rape and fatal beating of Rachel Morin while she was jogging in Bel Air in August 2023.

He’s also accused of another murder in his native country of El Salvador. He was apprehended a week ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma after a 10-month search.

During his bail hearing on Friday, Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey described Morin’s murder as one of the most brutal and violent crimes in the county.

Victor Martinez Hernandez appeared via Zoom from the Harford County Detention Center for his bail hearing in front of a judge and Rachel Morin’s family members.

“It was definitely difficult, the first time, to face him, even through a video call, to see the man who allegedly took your daughter or sister’s life,” stated Morin Family Attorney Randolph Rice.

Martinez Hernandez needs an interpreter as he speaks only Spanish.

Although he remained mostly silent during the hearing, more details about him and the crimes he’s accused of were disclosed in court.

Martinez Hernandez’s public defender shared that the 23-year-old is a father to a three-year-old girl and works to support her and his parents.

Further information about Rachel Morin’s death was revealed. State’s Attorney Alison Healey mentioned that she suffered 10-15 head wounds, was strangled, and sexually assaulted.

Healey also shed light on the homicide in El Salvador that Martinez Hernandez is linked to. She mentioned that he was seen leaving a bar with the victim during the last week of 2022, and her body was found a few days later. However, Martinez Hernandez’s public defender objected before more details about that incident could be disclosed.