Illegal migrant is convicted of raping and murdering mother of five Rachel Morin after deliberating just an hour

By BRITTANY CHAIN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: 01:40 BST, 15 April 2025 | Updated: 01:42 BST, 15 April 2025

An illegal migrant has been convicted of raping and murdering mother-of-five Rachel Morin after the jury deliberated for just one hour.

On Monday, Victor Martinez-Hernandez was found guilty of first degree murder, first degree rape and kidnapping for the horrific August 2023 attack on the 37-year-old mother in Baltimore.

He now must await sentencing as he faces life in prison for the sick crime.

Prosecutors wrapped up their case in the jury trial on Friday and the defense spent just 10 minutes responding on Monday.

This paved the way for an astonishingly short deliberation period for the jurors, Fox Baltimore reported. They had returned their verdict within an hour.  

Harford County State Attorney Alison Healey has already indicated she will seek the maximum penalty for the 24-year-old killer.

‘The quickness of the verdict speaks to the strength of the evidence in the case,’ she said, noting she was not surprised. ‘This was an airtight case.’

Healey also said that Morin ‘fought for her life’ in her final moments. 

On Monday, Victor Martinez-Hernandez was found guilty of first degree murder, first degree rape and kidnapping for the horrific August 2023 attack on the 37-year-old mother in Baltimore 

Rachel Morin’s tragic death inflamed debates about the illegal migrant crisis in the United States

‘She was viciously beaten, raped and ultimately murdered at the hands of the defendant.’

Police say Hernandez had been living in the United States illegally since February 2023 – just months before targeting his victim.

Martinez-Hernandez went on the run after the crime and was ultimately arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2024 after his DNA was found at the scene.  

A search of his phone showed he had searched for the terms ‘Bel Air,’ ‘Rachel’ and an incorrect spelling of her surname after the murder, the court was told. 

Morin’s murder inflamed debates about illegal immigrants after details of his previous alleged crimes emerged.

Morin’s mother, Patty Morin, last month criticized the immigration policies of the Biden-Harris administration.

She shared heartbreaking testimony in congress during a hearing titled, ‘A Country Without Borders: How the Biden-Harris Open-Borders Policies Have Undermined Our Safety and Security.’

‘If they had done the border protocols that were in place but was set aside, just a simple DNA swab, they would know that he had a INTERPOL warrant for murder in his home country,’ Morin said to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Donald Trump said Morin’s murder was a horrific example of the president failing in his basic duty to protect American citizens.  

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Illegal migrant is convicted of raping and murdering mother of five Rachel Morin after deliberating just an hour

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