The man accused of killing Rachel Morin on a Bel Air walking trail in August was indicted by a Harford County grand jury Tuesday following a presentation of forensic evidence, witness testimony and other investigative findings.
Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, of El Salvador, is facing six charges in the killing, including first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree rape, third-degree sex offense and kidnapping.
A 37-year-old mother of five, Morin went missing after going for a walk on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air on the evening of Aug. 5, 2023. Police found her body the next day in a wooded area adjacent to the trail. Morin had been beaten to death and sexually assaulted, detectives wrote in charging documents for Martinez-Hernandez.
Morin’s assailant attacked her on the trail and dragged her through the woods to the drainage ditch where her body was discovered, State’s Attorney Alison Healey said during Martinez-Hernandez’s bail hearing in late June. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner documented up to 15 head wounds, determining that she died by strangulation and blunt-force injuries.
Morin’s death attracted international attention last summer. Detectives got a tip in May that gave their investigation momentum. The information provided to investigators, along with a DNA analysis known as genetic genealogy, allowed police to home in on Martinez-Hernandez, who was arrested June 14 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Martinez-Hernandez is scheduled for his next court hearing July 22 at 1:30 p.m. in Harford County Circuit Court, when he will be formally advised of his right to legal counsel and the charges he is facing.
![Some fees associated with permitting, development and services in Bel Air will see an increase after the town mayor and commissioners passed legislation amending town fees. The fees are outlined in the town’s “fee schedule” which is subject to minor changes each year. When the amendments to the town’s fee schedule were introduced earlier this month, the Town Administrator, Edward Hopkins, said there are more amendments than usual due to an effort to get outdated fees in line with the modern cost of doing business. The finalized changes to the fee schedule that passed unanimously include: Permits for additions and […]](https://www.baltimoresun.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2023/11/08/26CTBYKDR5DHHCPVLHIE6PCX6I.jpg?w=535 "Some fees associated with permitting, development and services in Bel Air will see an increase after the town mayor and commissioners passed legislation amending town fees. The fees are outlined in the town’s “fee schedule” which is subject to minor changes each year. When the amendments to the town’s fee schedule were introduced earlier this month, the Town Administrator, Edward Hopkins, said there are more amendments than usual due to an effort to get outdated fees in line with the modern cost of doing business. The finalized changes to the fee schedule that passed unanimously include: Permits for additions and […]")