The illegal immigrant convicted killer of Maryland mom Rachel Morin was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, was tragically attacked and killed by Victor Martinez-Hernandez, 24, on August 5, 2023, while she was jogging on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, a picturesque area near Baltimore.
On Monday, the illegal immigrant received two life sentences to be served consecutively without parole, plus an extra 40 years, for the murder of Morin.
“Rachel Morin’s spirit was strongly felt in the courtroom today as her children, siblings, and mother expressed their heartfelt sentiments,” commented the Morin family’s lawyer, Randolph Rice, to Fox News Digital. “They conveyed their profound love for her, the significant emptiness her absence has created, and their unyielding determination to honor her by pursuing justice and safeguarding others from similar harm.”
Previously, it was revealed that Martinez-Hernandez had been a suspect in another woman’s murder in his homeland. However, on Monday, his defense team stated that he had been cleared of a murder charge last year in El Salvador.
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the US Border Patrol missed several opportunities to detain Martinez-Hernandez, preventing his approach to Rachel. Now, the Morin family hopes that with the current government, there will be fewer families affected by crimes committed by illegal immigrants,” Rice told Fox News Digital.
Patty Morin has been vocal in calling her daughter’s death preventable.
“When talking with the Morin family as they got ready for the sentencing, I felt a deep sorrow,” Rice shared with Fox News Digital. “It’s the same weight they carried in the weeks following the discovery of Rachel’s body in a storm drain along her local trail two years prior.”
“Back then, they were shocked and overwhelmed by the brutality of her rape and murder. Now, there is a different type of grief. They are grateful that her killer will die in prison, where he can’t hurt anyone else. But for Rachel’s mother in particular, there is a fear of Rachel’s memory fading as this case wraps up in the justice system. Monday’s sentencing hearing will be the Morin family’s chance to share how this horrific crime has affected their lives and speak directly to the monster who took Rachel. They don’t have much hope that he will understand the impact of his actions, but they appreciate any opportunity to share Rachel’s legacy.
