This week, the jury could decide the fate of Victor Martinez-Hernandez, who is on trial for the 2023 murder of Rachel Morin, a mother from Maryland.
After Morin was discovered dead off the Ma & Pa Trail in Harford County on August 6, 2023, Martinez-Hernandez was charged with rape and murder.
On August 5, 2023, investigators suspect Martinez-Hernandez attacked and raped Morin, a mother of five, after hiding in a culvert. After a global search, the suspect was finally taken into custody in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2024.
Martinez-Hernandez entered the US illegally from El Salvador in early 2023, according to law enforcement.
As we begin the third week of the trial, this is where we stand:
The jury may hear the case shortly.
The defense is anticipated to call witnesses, while the prosecution had Friday off.
This week, closing arguments may begin, and then the jury will deliberate.
Previously, the judge had anticipated that the trial would conclude on Wednesday, April 16.
Links to DNA evidence The murderer of Rachel Morin at the crime scene
Prosecutors claimed to have DNA evidence on Friday, April 11, that connected Martinez-Hernandez to the murder scene of Morin.
The jurors watched a video of the accused murderer’s initial interview following his arrest. Martinez-Hernandez was asked by detectives if he had ever killed or injured anyone.
The suspect was informed by the police that his DNA was discovered at the scene of the crime. According to law enforcement, scientists think the DNA recovered from the scene connects him to the murder scene of Morin.
Between August 2023 and July 2024, Tiffany Keener of the Maryland State Police Crime Lab generated a number of reports.
According to her testimony, Morin’s neck, left wrist, breasts, and Apple watch all had DNA from an unidentified male. According to Keener, there is very little chance that another person would have the same DNA profile after examining things taken from Martinez-Hernandez’s family.
Randolph Rice, the lawyer for Morin’s family, stated, “I would say that’s a pretty good probability that it’s not somebody else out in the world, it’s got to be the defendant here.”
According to testimony, Martinez-Hernandez will be in Maryland in 2023.
Detective Michael Wilsynski of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office testified on Thursday, April 10, that he had a conversation with Martinez-Hernandez’s aunt and cousins, who reside in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on June 13, 2024.
The detective informed the jury that he gave them Martinez-Hernandez’s Facebook details, including his phone number, the clothes he left behind before leaving the scene, and his Facebook name, Fernando Ismael.
According to Wilsynski, DNA samples from Martinez-Hernandez’s shoes, a hoodie, and filthy clothing were swabbed and sent to the Maryland State Police forensics lab.
The primary suspect was identified as Martinez-Hernandez. After reaching out to T-Mobile, investigators managed to ping his cell phone to a pub in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was apprehended by local law enforcement on June 14, 2024.
Martinez-Hernandez was in the Bel Air region in the summer of 2023, working at Popeye’s and Barrett’s on the Pike, according to testimony from former housemates and employers.
After looking through Martinez-Hernandez’s phone, Harford County Digital Forensics Supervisor Heather Marsh testified that she discovered WiFi connections, user maps, and a user dictionary that connect Martinez-Hernandez to Maryland.
“The DNA wraps up the crime scene and what happened to Rachel Morin and everything that was found there to the suspect they arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma,” Rice stated. “So this is a very important day that puts the bow on this whole case.”
A witness claims to have seen Rachel Morin prior to the murder.
Witness Kyle Stacy stated in his testimony on Wednesday, April 9, that he saw Morin on the Ma & Pa Trail on the day she was killed. Stacy told the jury that he met Morin while out on the trail with his girlfriend and dog.
Megan Waltimyer, a digital forensic examiner, determined that Morin died on August 5, 2023.
Morin’s heart rate spiked at 115 beats per minute at 7:07 p.m., according to health data retrieved from her iPhone and Apple Watch, Waltimyer noted. Her pulse rate decreased to 69 beats per minute two minutes later, and then to 62 beats per minute just 26 seconds later, which is when detectives think she passed away.
Photos from the crime scene are displayed.
The jury was shown pictures from the crime site on Tuesday, April 8. Evidence markers were visible in the photographs along the 150-foot bloody trail that led from the trail to the drainage culvert where Morin’s body was discovered.
In addition to describing the photos, an investigator from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Service Unit discovered Morin’s broken phone and Apple Watch close to the site.
According to the medical examiner’s testimony, Morin’s manner of death was determined to be homicide since it seemed that she had been struck in the skull at least 15 to 20 times with a blunt instrument.
Rachel Morin’s discovery day
Jurors heard testimony on Monday, April 7, from a member of the community who contacted 911 to inform law authorities that her friend had discovered Morin’s body on August 5, 2023, along with cops who responded to the murder scene.
When he arrived at the tunnel where Morin’s body was found, Wilsynski testified that it was “obvious this was not a slip and fall injury” and that “this was a serious attack.”
An Apple AirPod, a telephone, and a large amount of blood were among the numerous pieces of evidence discovered within the tunnel next to Morin’s body, Wilsynski explained.
The courtroom was startled by pictures of Morin’s beaten body.
Daughter and boyfriend testified
Richard Tobin, Morin’s boyfriend, and Violet Custer, her 14-year-old child, both gave testimony on Friday, April 4.
According to Tobin’s testimony, on August 5, 2023, shortly after 7 p.m., he observed that Morin had ceased answering his texts. He claimed to have phoned Morin after his messages ceased to be delivered. After the initial calls ended up in voicemail, he began to hear a beeping tone.
He searched nearby clubs in case she was cheating on him, but he was unsuccessful. He claims that when he returned to Morin’s house, he discovered Custer in a panic for the same reason, so they dialed 911.
According to Custer’s testimony, she texted her mother on August 5, 2023, at approximately 7 p.m., but Morin unexpectedly stopped answering.
Opening remarks at the murder trial of Rachel Morin
Both the defense and the prosecution gave opening remarks on Thursday, April 3. Alison Healey, the state attorney for Harford County, spoke about Morin as a mother of five, a fitness enthusiast, and a business entrepreneur.
Martinez-Hernandez moved in with his aunt in late 2023, according to what his aunt informed police during the investigation. According to Healey, Morin left their house about a month after his death and never returned.
According to Healey, when Richard Tobin, Morin’s boyfriend, went to find her, he discovered that her car was still in a neighboring parking lot. Then he tried to find her by going to other bars. After failing, he went back home and dialed 911.
Morin’s body was later located in a drainage tunnel after a search party discovered a rock with blood on it. According to Healey, Morin had 15 to 20 head wounds and displayed signs of strangling, which was ultimately identified as the cause of her death.
In his opening remarks for the defense, Sawyer Hicks, Martinez-Hernandez’s attorney, stated that he disagreed with the prosecution on Morin’s murder.
Hicks stressed that she met her partner, Tobin, while on the Ma & Pa Trail and told the court that Morin was a popular target for men. Hicks said they had only lately formally announced their relationship. That might have angered other men who were interested in Morin, he said.
Hicks continued by calling Morin’s murder a crime of passion, claiming that the perpetrator had a grudge against Morin and intended to degrade her. He wondered why Martinez-Hernandez would be motivated in that way.
Hicks went on to challenge the relationship between Martinez-Hernandez and Morin, claiming that there is simply a genetic tie.
