Suspect in Rachel Morin murder arrested ten months after her body was found

According to Maryland authorities, an arrest has been made in connection with the murder of Rachel Morin.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday that Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, a citizen of El Salvador, was arrested late Friday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the crime.

The 37-year-old mother of five was last seen on August 5th when she left for a walk on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, Maryland at 6 p.m. Her boyfriend reported her missing that same evening when she didn’t return home. Less than 24 hours later, her body was found near the trail.

WMAR

It was later determined that her death was murder.

Eleven days later, the sheriff’s office said a DNA sample found at the crime scene matched a man wanted for burglary and the assault of a 9-year-old girl in Los Angeles. Authorities released surveillance video of the unidentified man but were unable to identify him.

Harford County Sheriff’s Office

It was not until February 2024 that the sheriff’s office released a sketch of the man suspected in the case, who resembles Hernandez.

Sheriff of Harford County

According to online records, the 23-year-old was not only a refugee in Maryland, but was also being held by the ICE court.

According to officials, Martinez entered the United States illegally in February 2023 after being suspected of another murder in El Salvador.

He is charged with rape and first-degree murder and is currently being held without bail. The sheriff said Hernandez will be extradited to Maryland in the next few days, but a date has not been confirmed.

This story was originally published by Dominick Philippe-Auguste at Scripps News Baltimore.