How Police Finally Tracked Down Alleged Killer of Rachel Morin, Mom of 5 Who Vanished While Out on a Run
Victor Martinez-Hernandez was arrested on June 14 in connection with the August 2023 death of Rachel Morin
Harford County Sheriff's Office; Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty
Rachel Morin (left), and Victor Martinez-HernandezMaryland authorities have revealed how they tracked down the man accused of killing Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old fitness enthusiast and mother of five who disappeared while out on a jog in August 2023.
Morin’s remains were found on Aug. 6, a day after she vanished from her run along the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Md, Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler told PEOPLE at the time.
More than 10 months later, on June 14, police arrested Victor Martinez-Hernandez in Tulsa, Okla., Gahler said in a statement.
In charging documents, Harford County authorities say they were able to track Martinez-Hernandez, 23, using DNA recovered from Morin’s body that they connected to the suspect through relatives he had been staying with.
Courtesy of the Harford County Sheriff Office
A sketch of the man suspected of killing Rachel Morin was released in FebruaryRelated: Video Released of Rachel Morin's Suspected Killer — and DNA Links Him to Home Invasion in California
Morin, who had been “beaten to death and sexually assaulted,” had DNA present in several parts of her body, police said in a charging document reviewed by PEOPLE.
A genetic profile generated using the DNA samples indicated to authorities that the samples were all from the same individual, authorities said.
Police then conducted further DNA tests that came up with results of a possible relative of the unknown person. After an “investigation into the family lineage,” police were able to identify Martinez-Hernandez as the suspect, the document alleges.
Investigators spoke with his relatives who said the suspect began staying with them last December and left in May, per the document.
The relatives also provided authorities with his clothes and shoes, which the suspect reportedly left behind in the residence, police said. DNA recovered from those items allegedly matched the samples recovered from the crime scene, per the document.
Harford County Sheriff
The man (left) suspected of killing Rachel Morin (right) was allegedly captured on surveillance footage in connection with a home invasion across the country.Soon after Morin’s killing, the suspect was allegedly linked to a home invasion in Los Angeles in March 2023 where a woman and her child were assaulted, Gahler has claimed.
Martinez-Hernandez was identified on May 20, police say; authorities claim he allegedly fled El Salvador and unlawfully entered the U.S. in February 2023 after being accused of murdering a woman in his native country.
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In an obituary posted after her death, Morin is remembered as the “life of the party” who had a “knack for making people laugh."
She loved fashion and ran marathons, the obituary states.
“She lived her life with an infectious zest, spreading joy and love wherever she went,” it reads.
Martinez-Hernandez has been charged with two counts of murder, two counts of rape and two counts of assault, according to the charging documents.
It wasn't immediately clear if he has entered pleas for the charges. PEOPLE was not able to reach the public defender assigned to his case.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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