OAN’s Brooke Mallory
3:09 PM – Monday, June 17, 2024
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the suspect in hiker Rachel Morin’s tragic murder case purportedly signed a waiver on Friday allowing Harford County law enforcement to extradite him to Maryland for trial.
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Up to ten days may pass during the extradition.
Prosecution will start as soon as Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, a 23-year-old El Salvadorian who entered the country illegally last year, arrives in Harford County, according to County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler.
“Rachel’s murderer is no longer a free man, and, hopefully, he will never have the opportunity to walk free again,” Gahler said.
“Victor Hernandez did not come here to make a better life for himself or for his family. He came here to escape crimes committed in El Salvador,” he added. “He came here and murdered Rachel and, God willing, no one else. But that should have never been allowed to happen.”
Allison Healy, the state’s attorney for Harford County, announced during a press conference on Saturday that she will be in charge of Martinez-Hernandez’s prosecution.
On Monday, the Tulsa County Clerk of the Court affirmed that Martinez-Hernandez has the option to designate an attorney or have one assigned to him. The court claims that as of Monday, there is no information available regarding Martinez-Hernandez’s legal council.
In addition to a detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a hold from Maryland to face charges in Morin’s homicide, he is currently being held without bond in a Tulsa County jail. His DNA was discovered at the site of Morin’s murder scene, and as a result, authorities have charged him with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in relation to Morin’s death.
“Morin’s boyfriend reported the 37-year-old mother of five missing Aug. 5, when she did not return home from a walk. Morin’s body was found the following day. Her death quickly drew national attention as detectives worked to identify a possible suspect and motive,” according to the Baltimore Sun outlet.
The DNA collected at the scene of Morin’s death was linked by police to an “unidentified male who had attacked a 9-year-old and her mother in a home invasion in Los Angeles,” sparking a homicide inquiry. It is unclear why his name was not listed by police if he had already been arrested and released prior.
Events in support of Morin’s family were arranged, information leaflets were distributed, and a prize of $35,000 was offered back in February for clues that resulted in an arrest.
On May 20th, Morin’s birthday, Gahler said that investigators finally found their lead suspect, Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, who is a El Salvadorian national that illegally crossed the southern border during President Joe Biden’s time in office.
DNA was utilized, according to FBI Special Agent William DelBagno of the Baltimore field office, to locate Martinez-Hernandez’s possible relatives in El Salvador. Investigators then traveled to the country in order to continue the probe, which led to his confirmed identification and whereabouts.
According to Gahler, investigators learned that Martinez-Hernandez also purportedly raped and murdered another young woman in El Salvador in January 2023—one month before traveling to the United States.
The previous murder in El Salvador and Martinez-Hernandez’s alleged affiliation with street gangs in El Salvador even prompted the issuance of an Interpol “Red Notice,” which is a global appeal to law enforcement to track down and apprehend an individual.
On Friday night of last week, Martinez-Hernandez was found at a sports bar in Tulsa. There, he was immediately arrested and charged.
Martinez-Hernandez is not being charged locally in Tulsa County, according to Katie Keleher, the director of communications for the Tulsa County Police. Instead, he is expected to appear in court on July 1st for a bond review hearing in Harford County.
According to Caylin Ryden, Chief of Administration for the State’s Attorney in Harford County, the state will contend that Martinez-Hernandez should be detained without bond. In addition, Ryden said that the matter will be brought before a grand jury “as quickly as possible” in order to seek an indictment.
The public release of the case’s charge documents has not been released to the press yet.
“Neither Immigration and Customs Enforcement nor DHS responded to The Post’s requests for comment Monday to clarify how Martinez-Hernandez was able to stay in the US,” New York Post reported.
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