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Murder in Bel Air, Maryland, August 5, 2023

Rachel Morin, 37

Mother of five. Out for a walk on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, Maryland.

Border Patrol releaseUndocumented
  1. Original charge
    Illegal entry (Title 42 removable)
    January 19, 2023
  2. Released
    Title 42 removal (returned to Mexico, re-entered)
    February 6, 2023
  3. 180 days later
    Murder
    August 5, 2023

What happened

Morin was raped and beaten to death on the Ma & Pa trail. DNA linked the killer to the Los Angeles home invasion sexual assault months earlier. Martinez-Hernandez was captured in Tulsa OK in June 2024. Convicted April 2025 and sentenced to life without parole.

The release decision

On January 19, 2023, Victor Martinez-Hernandez was charged with illegal entry (title 42 removable). Federal immigration enforcement U.S. Border Patrol (multiple encounters) ordered the release on February 6, 2023. Terms: title 42 removal (returned to mexico, re-entered). Prosecutors had asked for n/a — administrative removal. The defendant had 3 prior arrests at the time.

The defendant's record

Wanted in El Salvador for the murder of a young woman (arrest warrant issued January 2023). Apprehended and removed under Title 42 three times in early 2023 near Santa Teresa NM and El Paso TX. Also accused of sexually assaulting a mother and her 9-year-old daughter in Los Angeles after re-entry.

Sources