Rachel Morins mom comes face-to-face with migrant murder suspect for first time in court
The mother of a Maryland jogger who prosecutors say died at the hands of an illegal immigrant with a long history of attacks on women and girls came face-to-face with the suspected killer for the first time in court Friday.Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, is accused of abducting and brutally assaulting Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, on a running trail near her home before hiding her body in a culvert.Martinez-Hernandez, wearing a striped jail jumpsuit, handcuffs and shackles, leaned into a Spanish-language interpreter throughout the proceedings, according to Randolph Rice, the lawyer for Morin’s family.It was his first in-person court appearance after attending the others virtually.“Seeing Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez enter the courtroom with a flat, emotionless expression only deepens the anguish felt by Rachel Morin’s family,” Rice told Fox News Digital.“This is the man accused of taking Rachel’s life in such a brutal and horrific manner, yet his demeanor suggests no remorse.”He avoided eye contact with the grieving mother, Patty, other members of the family and even prosecutors.“It’s infuriating to think that if our borders had been properly secured or the DNA Fingerprint Act had been followed, this family would not be enduring this nightmare,” Rice added.
“This tragedy was preventable, and today’s court appearance is a painful reminder to America of the failures in our current immigration system that allowed this individual to remain undetected until it was too late.”The murder suspect’s arrival “brought an overwhelming sense of grief and sadness to Patty Morin,” who teared up as he took his place at the defense table, Rice said.Martinez-Hernandez revealed in court he dropped out of school after seventh grade.When he first arrived in the US illegally in 2023, he was already suspected of killing a woman in his home country of El Salvador.Before making his way to Maryland, the border “gotaway” alle...