Rachel Morin Homicide Suspect Indicted By Grand Jury

BEL AIR, MD — The suspect arrested in connection to Bel Air mom Rachel Morin's homicide has been formally indicted by a grand jury in Harford County Circuit Court, according to an attorney representing Morin's mother Patty.

Morin, 37, whose body was found along the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air in August 2023, was a mother of five. She frequently jogged the trail near where she was found raped and beaten to death.

The next step in this case is for suspect and defendant Victor Martinez Hernandez, 23,to appear at an initial hearing set for July 22 at 1:30 p.m. He will appear before Judge Yolanda Curtin of the Circuit Court of Maryland for Harford County. At this hearing, Hernandez will be formally advised of his right to counsel and the six charges he is facing, which are first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree rape, second-degree rape, first-degree assault and second-degree assault.

Hernandez, who is from El Salvador, has been linked by DNA to a home invasion and sexual assault in southern California of a 9-year-old girl and her mother. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said at a news conference following the suspect's arrest that Hernandez also is a suspect in the homicide of a young woman in El Salvador in July 2023, one month before Morin's death.

Detectives learned that Hernandez had been living in Maryland with relatives during most of the investigation into Morin's death. He was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 14, on unrelated charges. He was extradited from Oklahoma to Maryland June 20 and booked into the Harford County Detention Center. He was denied bail June 21.

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Charging documents show that by using DNA, unknown genetic material and other forensic evidence, a genetic profile was generated and confirmed that all material was from the same suspect. By using investigative genetic genealogy, investigators were able to identify a possible relative of the suspect. By investigating the family lineage, detectives were able to identify Hernandez as the suspect, charging documents stated.

On June 13, detectives interviewed family members of Hernandez. They learned that he had been staying with the family members in Maryland from December 2023 to May 2024. The family also told investigators that Hernandez left at the beginning of May 2024 and never returned. Detectives asked if he had left behind any belongings and the family turned over two bags of clothing and a pair of shoes. DNA swabs were taken from those items and matched the DNA recovered from the crime scene, charging documents stated.

WBFF obtained court records that showed Hernandez had been renting a brick home in the 8100 block of East 15th Street in Tulsa, located not far from several schools, churches and an airport. A search warrant showed that investigators found a laptop, sketchbook and El Salvador driver's registration in the suspect's home, along with bus tickets and a metro card.

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