Rachel Morin was murdered while jogging on a popular hiking trail in Maryland in August 2023 in the afternoon. A time when most people would feel safe exercising in public. The mother of five was extremely in shape and dedicated to fitness. Unfortunately, Morin wasn’t safe that day because of the creeper in the woods. A nightmare most women fear but never experience. Rachel encountered evil that day, and her life was taken for a sick person’s satisfaction. Thankfully, the many people she left behind who loved her so much finally have justice.
Rachel Morin Murder Case
In Hartford County, Maryland, on August 6th, 2023, Rachel Morin was found deceased at just 37 years old. She was walking on the Ma and Pa Heritage Trail, a popular local hiking destination. Reportedly, Morin was walking down the trail when a creeper in the woods attacked her, dragging her through the woods and assaulting and murdering her in a drainage culvert.
Morin left behind her five children, who range in age between eight and 18. The children are safe and sound, living with their fathers. Obviously, though, nothing can bring back their mother, who loved them so incredibly much. They had to lose their mother to a twisted man who used and abused her for his sick perversions.
A Suspect Has Been Arrested
23-year-old Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, an El Salvadoran native, has been arrested. Martinez Hernandez was arrested at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, bar on Friday. The Maryland police are currently working to get the young man extradited to Maryland. Based on his criminal history, this is likely not the only place he will be traveling to for court in the upcoming days.
Before murdering Morin, it is believed that Martinez Hernandez left El Salvador after allegedly murdering a woman in January 2023. From there, he broke into a home and assaulted a nine-year-old little girl in Los Angeles, California, in March of 2023. Unfortunately, the mother of five was his third alleged documented victim in a period of seven months. There are likely other victims elsewhere since people don’t begin their crime journey as serial killers.
Genetic Genealogy Aids Another Investigation
Genetic genealogy appears to have solved the Rachel Morin murder case in roughly 10 months. We’ll skip the science mumbo-jumbo, but basically, genetic genealogy is the process of finding people by tracing them via family through DNA databases. The process can use incredibly small DNA samples to locate a person. What are some examples of these DNA databases? People can opt to make their genetic results available for police through DNA testing like 23andMe. Mandated DNA testing of convicted felons is another way people can be tracked.
In the Rachel Morin murder case, DNA left behind at the murder scene was matched to DNA left at the Los Angeles crime scene. The police had the DNA but not the suspect because Martinez Hernandez had never provided a sample. They utilized genetic genealogy to trace the DNA they had to family members of the young man in El Salvador. This method of DNA testing is often expensive and time-consuming, so it’s wonderful that the Hartford police were able to use such cutting-edge technology to bring justice for Rachel Morin.
It appears that Rachel Morin was helping from above. On her birthday, May 20th, Morin seemingly guaranteed her case would be solved. On that day, a genetic lead was found by investigators that led to the identification of Martinez Hernandez. Once his identity was established, they had to track him down, which took about a month. The young man lived a fairly nomadic life and had ties to multiple states, making finding him harder. Thank you for your help, Ms. Rachel! Rest in peace!
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