Rachel Morin's Mom Speaks Before House Judiciary​ Committee About Immigration Danger

BEL AIR, MD — Rachel Morin's mom, Patty Morin, testified before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday as to the impact of illegal immigration on her life.

Rachel Morin, 37, was a mother of five whose body was found along the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air in August 2023. She frequently jogged the trail near where she was found raped and beaten to death. The suspect in Morin's murder, Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, is from El Salvador and officials said he entered the United States as an undocumented immigrant.

Martinez-Hernandez also has been linked by DNA to a home invasion and sexual assault in southern California of a 9-year-old girl and her mother. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said at a news conference following the suspect's arrest in Oklahoma that Hernandez also is a suspect in the homicide of a young woman in El Salvador in July 2023, one month before Morin's death.

"I’m here today to make sure that my daughter is remembered as more than a victim. I hope that her story will be the wake-up call that this country needs to secure its borders and protect American citizens," Patty Morin said during her testimony. "The circumstances of Rachels's death triggered extreme shock and denial for our family. We felt heartbroken at the severity and cruelty of the crime. We experienced extreme terror and nightmares for months. To this day, we still do not feel completely safe in our own homes and community.

"We are grieving the loss of Rachel’s life and the future that was taken from her. That trauma is different for every member of the family. I lost my daughter, and I am heartbroken for her children. Rachel’s siblings are mourning the bright light that Rachel brought to our family. The most traumatic impact is on Rachel’s five children, each of whom is struggling to figure out how to cope without their mom," Morin continued.

"We felt relieved when the suspect was finally caught. But that relief quickly turned to horror and outrage when we learned that the suspect was an illegal immigrant. This man was wanted for killing a woman in his home country when he walked into ours. What’s worse is that border patrol would have known that if they had followed the law and swabbed him for DNA the first three times he tried to get into this country. They just turned him around and allowed him to come back again and again until he finally got through the border," Morin said.

The public can watch the committee's meeting in its entirety on YouTube. Guest speakers were:

• Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, Ph.D., Affiliated Researcher, Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation University of California San Diego - testimony
• Melissa Lopez, Executive Director, Estrella del Paso (formerly known as Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services) - testimony
• Alexis Nungaray, Mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, Victim of Criminal Illegal Alien - testimony
• Tammy Nobles, Mother of Kayla Hamilton, Victim of Criminal Illegal Alien - testimony
• Mike Boudreaux, Sheriff, Tulare County, California - testimony
• Patty Morin, Mother of Rachel Morin, Victim of Criminal Illegal Alien - testimony
• April Aguirre, Crime Victims' Advocate - testimony
• Anne Fundner, Mother of Weston Fundner, Victim of Fentanyl Poisoning - testimony

Related:

• Rachel Morin Homicide Suspect's Initial Court Appearance Canceled: Prosecution
• Rachel Morin Case: Harford County Prosecutor Seeks Life Sentence Without Parole
• Rachel Morin Homicide Suspect Indicted By Grand Jury
• Rachel Morin Homicide Suspect Extradited, Bail Review Hearing Set
• Clue Uncovered On Rachel Morin's Birthday Led To Suspect, Arrest
• Murder Charge Filed In MD Mom Rachel Morin's Death
• Suspect In Rachel Morin Killing Hid In MD For Months During Investigation: Court Documents
• Signs Announcing Arrest In Rachel Morin Case Posted At Ma And Pa Trail: HCSO
• Rachel Morin's Family Releases Video Pleading For Help In Solving Her Homicide

• Hunt Continues For Rachel Morin Murder Suspect, Labeled Serial Killer
• Rachel Morin Case: 'We Haven't Given Up Hope' Sheriff Says Of Manhunt
• Rachel Morin Slaying: Suspect Search Turns To Los Angeles
• Rachel Morin Family Asks For Worldwide Prayers For Justice
• Rachel Morin's Family Mourns Loss Of 'Bright, Beautiful Spark'
• Women Attacked On Park Trails In Howard, Frederick Counties: Police