After an intensive 10-month nationwide search, authorities announced on Friday the arrest of Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, suspected of murdering Rachel Morin during her hike on a Maryland trail last summer.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler briefed reporters on Saturday, revealing that Martinez-Hernandez, 23, was apprehended in Tulsa, Oklahoma, thanks to DNA evidence and meticulous tracking by local police and the FBI. The arrest marked a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the tragic death of Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, whose body was discovered on August 6, 2023, along the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail. Her boyfriend had reported her missing after she failed to return home from her hike.
Sheriff Gahler expressed gratitude to his team, the FBI, and the community for their relentless efforts to bring justice to Morin and her grieving family. Martinez-Hernandez faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape upon extradition to Maryland.
Authorities believe Morin was assaulted on the trail and dragged into a wooded area before being killed in a drainage culvert adjacent to the trail, as previously disclosed by the sheriff’s office. DNA evidence recovered at the crime scene linked Martinez-Hernandez to a 2023 home invasion in Los Angeles, where his DNA was found after the assault of a 9-year-old girl.
Despite possessing DNA evidence and surveillance footage from the Los Angeles incident, Sheriff Gahler stated they lacked the suspect’s identity until May. Martinez-Hernandez, reportedly an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was also wanted for a homicide in his home country involving a woman.
“Thanks to new DNA evidence, we finally identified him, but his whereabouts remained unknown,” Sheriff Gahler said, detailing the recent breakthrough in tracking Martinez-Hernandez to Tulsa, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant and subsequent capture.
Prior to the arrest, authorities privately informed Morin’s family about the impending warrant. During a tearful news conference, Patricia Morin, Rachel’s mother, expressed deep gratitude to investigators and the media for their role in apprehending the suspect.
“At a time when hope seemed lost, the lead detective assured me that patience would prevail,” she said emotionally.
While the motive behind Morin’s killing remains unclear, Sheriff Gahler indicated that it appeared Martinez-Hernandez acted alone in the crime.
Information on Martinez-Hernandez’s legal representation was not immediately available, nor has an extradition date been set. The investigation into Rachel Morin’s murder continues.
