In-depth look at the security cameras along Maryland trail where Rachel Morin was murdered

BALTIMORE -- More than 100 cameras were installed on 26 poles along Harford County's Ma & Pa Trail in the months after Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five, was found murdered.

The camera system, considered by the Harford County executive as the most advanced in the state, covers nearly every angle of two miles of the trail.

Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly gave WJZ an inside look at how these cameras are used and how they will prevent further violent crimes.

How are the cameras used?

The $1 million Motorola surveillance system was installed in March, about seven months after Morin was killed along the popular trail.

"The terrible crime took not only Rachel's life but it also took the peace and security of our citizenry who use that trail," Cassilly said.

The cameras use AI to detect potential suspicious activity or incidents on the trail, like if someone is having a medical emergency or is being attacked. When something happens, the system sends county leaders an alert so they can check it out.

The system can also be used to search for persons of interest by inputting certain characteristics, including clothing or hair color.

Artificial intelligence

With the technology being so advanced, county leaders want to ensure the public's privacy is not violated.

"We're not providing open access to these cameras," Cassilly said. "There is no 24/7 monitoring by a person. Obviously, it's the artificial intelligence, but no people watching it."

How has it helped?

So far, the cameras have been used twice to help police investigations.

The cameras were utilized a month after they were installed for a report of stolen construction equipment and again earlier this month after a woman was reported missing.

Cassilly believes the cameras will help prevent more crimes from happening in the future.

"I think first the fact that people know there are cameras on the trail will discourage people from engaging in criminal conduct," Cassilly said. 

The county executive says that they are still working to refine the system to make sure it is alerting them properly.

He says it is possible could potentially install the system in other areas of the county. 

Morin's murder

Rachel Morin was found murdered and raped after she left home for a run on the Ma & Pa Trail in August 2023, according to deputies.

After a months-long manhunt, the suspect, Victory Martinez Hernandez, was arrested in June at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was then extradited back to Maryland.

Law enforcement officers said Martinez Hernandez left his home country of El Salvador illegally in February 2023 after an arrest warrant was issued for the murder of a woman. He is also believed to have assaulted a young child in Los Angeles.

Martinez Hernandez has been charged with first-degree murder in Morin's death.

He is not due back in court until October.