Current:Home > ContactRachel Morin Murder Case: Suspect Arrested in Connection to Maryland Woman's Death -Visionary Growth Labs
Rachel Morin Murder Case: Suspect Arrested in Connection to Maryland Woman's Death
View
Date:2025-04-16 16:00:08
Police have arrested a man suspected to have killed and sexually assaulted Maryland woman Rachel Morin last year.
The Harford County Sheriff's Office announced June 15 that with the help of federal law enforcement, Victor Martinez-Hernandez was taken into custody in Tulsa, Ok. on suspicion of murder as well as rape in connection with the 2023 killing of the 37-year-old, a mother of five.
"So far, we have learned that the suspect, now pictured on the screens, is a 23-year-old citizen of El Salvador who illegally crossed the border into the United States in February of 2023," Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said at a press conference, later adding, "The charges in the case are first-degree murder and first-degree rape."
Martinez-Hernandez was booked into a Tulsa County jail just after midnight June 15 and is set to be extradited to Maryland, Gahler said. The suspect was also put on an ICE hold to await possible transfer to custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to legal records obtained by E! News. He is being held without bond on a fugitive from justice complaint. No lawyer was listed for him.
Rachel was found dead near the Ma & Pa Heritage hiking trail in Bel Air, Md. in August 2023, one day after her boyfriend alerted authorities over her not returning home from an evening walk. According to the police, Morin is not the only person Martinez-Hernandez, who Gahler said has ties to "known gangs," is suspected of killing.
"It's my understanding that this suspect, this monster, fled to the United States illegally after committing the brutal murder of a young woman in El Salvador a month early, in January of 2023," Gahler said. "Once in our country, and likely emboldened by his anonymity, he brutally attacked a 9-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in March of 2023 in Los Angeles."
Days after Morin's death, investigators shared a surveillance video of the burglary suspect leaving the property, while Gahler had told reporters that DNA collected from that location matched a samples taken at the scene of Morin's murder. The sheriff noted the finding at the recent press conference, adding, "That was our first DNA match linking Rachel's case to the Los Angeles case."
FBI special agent Bill DelBagno, who heads the agency's Baltimore Field Office, mapped out further how authorities were able to make the genetic link to the suspect.
"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. Investigators even traveled to El Salvador as part of their efforts to identify this killer."
Morin's mother, Patricia Morin, praised law enforcement for their investigation and the media for bringing awareness to the case and led the room in applause. "I think we should applaud them," she said, "just because I am so grateful that they have brought us to this place."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (874)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Iowa's Patrick McCaffery, son of Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery, enters transfer portal
- Tax return extensions: Why you should (or shouldn't) do it and how to request one
- Elizabeth Chambers Addresses Armie Hammer Scandal in Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise Trailer
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Upgrade Your Meals with These Tasty Celebrity Cookbooks, from Tiffani Thiessen to Kristin Cavallari
- Longtime Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Krystal Anderson dies after giving birth
- Black pastors see popular Easter services as an opportunity to rebuild in-person worship attendance
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Sean Diddy Combs' Alleged Drug Mule Arrested at Airport Amid Home Raids
Ranking
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Excavation at French hotel reveals a medieval castle with a moat, coins and jewelry
- California law enforcement agencies have hindered transparency efforts in use-of-force cases
- With hot meals and donations, Baltimore residents 'stand ready to help' after bridge collapse
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Baltimore bridge collapse and coping with gephyrophobia. The fear is more common than you think.
- I'm a Realtor. NAR settlement may not be as good for home buyers and sellers as they think.
- Shakira and Emily in Paris Star Lucien Laviscount Step Out for Dinner in NYC
Recommendation
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
‘Murder in progress': Police tried to spare attacker’s life as they saved woman from assault
BlackRock CEO said 'retirement crisis' needs to be addressed for younger generations losing hope
Republican-passed bill removes role of Democratic governor if Senate vacancy occurs in Kentucky
What to watch: O Jolie night
Twenty One Pilots announces 'Clancy' concert tour, drops new single
A look at where Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and others are headed when season ends
California law enforcement agencies have hindered transparency efforts in use-of-force cases