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” allegedly raped a California mother and her 9-year-old daughter in their home.
Martinez-Hernandez waived his right to a speedy trial and also waived a potential conflict of interest that arose due to Morin’s boyfriend having once been represented by the same public defender’s office.
“Today’s postponement was not unexpected. We’ve been preparing the family for a lengthy legal process,” Rice said. “The family is strong and taking this in stride, knowing that justice will take time. We remain committed to ensuring that Rachel’s memory is honored and justice is served.”
After the waiver, the judge set a series of new hearing dates — a motions hearing for Jan. 31, 2025, a pretrial conference on March 31 and a new trial date for April 1. It is expected to last two weeks.
Patty Morin traveled to Capitol Hill last month in a bid to get lawmakers to take the border crisis more seriously.
Morin told the House Judiciary Committee that if routine protocols had been followed — like taking a DNA swab and a photo of Martinez-Hernandez when he was stopped at the border — her daughter could still be alive.
Interpol already had a warrant for his arrest when he came to the U.S.
“I realize some of you are disinterested in this because you just think it’s a partisan thing, but these are American people,” Morin told lawmakers at the hearing. “We need to close the borders. … These people that are coming over the border, if they’re coming over illegally, it’s because they have something to hide.”
New York Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler appeared to nod off during the hearing.
“What I would really like to come across is that I really want the American people, members of Congress, senators, presidents … I want everyone to actually listen to our voices, listen to our words, listen to what we have to say and take it to heart,” Morin told Fox News Digital later.
“It’s hard to verbalize the message to them because they already have the mindset that this is a political thing, that you’re either for immigration or you’re against immigration. I don’t think Americans are against immigration if it’s done correctly.”