The man accused of killing Rachel Morin on a Bel Air walking trail in August was indicted by a grand jury Tuesday following a presentation of forensic evidence, witness testimonies and other investigative findings.
Victor Antonio Martinez- Hernandez, 23, of El Salvador, is facing six charges in the killing, including first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree rape, third-degree sex offense and kidnapping.
A 37-year-old mother of five, Morin went missing after going for a walk on Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air in the evening of Aug. 5, 2023.
Police found her exposed body the next day in a wooded area adjacent to the trail.
Morin had been beaten to death and sexually assaulted, detectives wrote in charging documents for Martinez-Hernandez.
Morin’s assailant attacked her on the trail and dragged her through the woods to the drainage ditch where her body was discovered, State’s Attorney Alison Healey said during Martinez-Hernandez’s bail hearing in late June.
During her autopsy, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner documented up to 15 head wounds, determining that she died by strangulation and blunt-force injuries.
Morin’s death attracted international attention last summer.
Detectives got a tip in May that gave their investigation momentum.
The information provided to investigators, along with a DNA analysis known as genetic genealogy, allowed police to home in on Martinez-Hernandez, who was arrested June 14 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Martinez-Hernandez is scheduled for his next court hearing July 22 at 1:30 p.m. in Harford County Circuit Court, when he will be formally advised of his right to legal counsel and the charges he is facing.