Man suspected of killing Rachel Morin charged with murder and assault, held without bond
BALTIMORE -- A judge ordered that the suspect accused of killing Rachel Morin be held without bail on Friday.
The suspect, Victor Martinez Hernandez, who authorities say is in the country illegally, is accused of raping and beating Rachel Morin to death while she was out for a jog in Bel Air in August of 2023.
He's also accused of another murder in his home country of El Salvador.
He was arrested a week ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma after a 10 month long search for him.
During his bail hearing on Friday, Harford County State's Attorney Alison Healey said Morin's murder is one of the most brutal and violent crimes to ever happen in the county.
Victor Martinez Hernandez appeared by Zoom from the Harford County Detention Center for his bail hearing before a judge and several members of Rachel Morin's family.
"I certainly thought it was tough, the first time, to look him in the eye, even though it was on video, to look in the face of the man who's alleged to have taken your daughter or sister's life," Morin Family Attorney Randolph Rice said.
Martinez Hernandez requires an interpreter because he only speaks Spanish.
Even though he said very little during the hearing, in court, we learned a lot more about him and the crimes he's accused of.
Martinez Hernandez's public defender revealed the 23-year-old is a father to a three-year-old girl and works to support her and his parents.
We also learned more about how Rachel Morin died.
State's Attorney Alison Healey says she had 10-15 head wounds, was strangled and sexually assaulted.
Healey also revealed more about the homicide in El Salvador Martinez Hernandez is accused of.
She says he and that victim were seen leaving a bar together the last week of 2022 and her body was discovered a few days later. However, Martinez Hernandez's public defender objected before the state's attorney could reveal any more details about that alleged crime.
Attorney Randolph Rice, who represents Rachel's family, says these details were difficult for Rachel's mother to hear.
"Patty Morin was very emotional," Rice said. "The deputies handed her a box of Kleenex. She was crying. Again, looking in the face of someone who's alleged to have killed your daughter has got to be tough and this is the first time she's been that close to him."
We also learned from charging documents that Martinez Hernandez has family he was staying with in Maryland from December of last year all the way up until May of this year.
Detectives say they used items he left at their home to connect him to the crime.
Martinez Hernandez is expected back in court July 18.
