Jury takes no time calling out killer of mother of 5 slaughtered on trail during weekend hike

The antheral accused of viciously murdering a Maryland mom of five was recovered blameworthy by a assemblage aft a accelerated deliberation.

Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 24, was convicted Monday aft a assemblage deliberated for little than an hr pursuing a 9 time trial. The El Salvadoran migrant was recovered to beryllium liable for the kidnapping, rape, and execution of Rachel Morin, 37, who was recovered dormant adjacent the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail successful Bel Air, Maryland, aft her fellow reported her missing connected Aug. 5, 2023. According to charging documents astatine the time, Morin was sexually assaulted and beaten to death.

Martinez-Hernandez’s DNA was accordant with samples near connected respective parts of her body.

As Law&Crime has previously reported, Morin’s fellow reported her missing aft she went for a locomotion connected the Bel Air way connected that August evening and ne'er came home. The adjacent day, her car was recovered successful the parking lot, and her assemblage was successful a wooded country nearby.

According to the charging documents, Morin was recovered “partially naked” with her apparel pulled off. WBJ, a section CBS affiliate, reported astatine the clip that Morin had 10 to 15 caput wounds successful summation to being strangled, according to Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey.

DNA swabs were taken from respective parts of her body, and they each belonged to 1 contributor, aboriginal identified arsenic Martinez-Hernandez. The DNA samples were matched to samples recovered connected covering provided by the defendant’s ain family.

It wasn’t the archetypal transgression linked to Martinez-Hernandez; it wasn’t adjacent the archetypal 1 to usage his ain familial worldly against him. Law&Crime antecedently reported that Martinez-Hernandez attacked a 9-year-old miss and her parent successful Los Angeles and allegedly killed a pistillate successful his location state of El Salvador.

After the verdict, Healey spoke to the press and called the lawsuit “horrific,” but “airtight” erstwhile it came to the grounds and the investigation.

Martinez-Hernandez was recovered blameworthy of each counts against him: first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree rape, third-degree intersexual discourtesy and kidnapping. He is owed to beryllium sentenced successful 60 to 90 days.

The prosecution signaled that it volition inquire that sentences for each number beryllium served consecutively, ensuring that the slayer has nary accidental of going free.

The defence lawyers said they were “disappointed” successful the verdict, but would present “focus connected sentencing and ensuring that Mr. Martinez-Hernandez has a just process that balances each of the applicable factors.”

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