El Salvador Migrant Sentenced to Life for Murder of American Mother
- An illegal immigrant from El Salvador has been sentenced to life without parole for the rape and murder of American mother Rachel Morin in Maryland
- The case, which drew national attention, was cited by Donald Trump during his campaign to tighten US border security
- Victor Martinez-Hernandez was arrested after a ten-month manhunt and linked to multiple violent crimes across the US and El Salvador
An illegal immigrant from El Salvador has been sentenced to life without parole for the brutal killing of American mother Rachel Morin, in a case that drew national attention and was cited by former President Donald Trump during his campaign for stricter border controls.
Victor Martinez-Hernandez, 24, was convicted earlier this year of the rape and murder of Morin, 37, whose body was discovered in a drainage culvert off a hiking trail in Bel Air, Maryland, in August 2023. Prosecutors told the court that Martinez-Hernandez had assaulted Morin, bludgeoned her with rocks, and strangled her before concealing her remains.
Source: Getty Images
He was also linked to a violent home invasion in Los Angeles in 2023 and remains wanted in El Salvador for the murder of another woman, according to officials.
Life sentence handed down in Harford County
On Monday, Judge Yolanda Curtin sentenced Martinez-Hernandez to life imprisonment for first-degree murder, another life term for rape, and an additional 40 years for third-degree sexual offence and kidnapping. He will serve his sentence in a Maryland prison.
The defendant reportedly showed little emotion as the verdict was delivered. Prosecutor Alison Healey stated outside the courthouse:
“Arguably, Harford County has never seen a case or a defendant more deserving of every single day of the maximum sentences this court imposed.”
Martinez-Hernandez was apprehended in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2024 following a ten-month nationwide manhunt.
Family of Rachel Morin shares grief and forgiveness
During the sentencing hearing, the court heard emotional victim-impact statements from Morin’s family. Her mother, Patty Morin, said:
“The brutality of her murder will haunt us for the rest of our lives.”
Voice recordings from Morin’s five children, aged between nine and 15, were played in court. One child said:
“Now I have to spend more time without you than I did with you.”
Her older brother, Michael Morin, also addressed the court, saying his Christian faith led him to forgive the killer.
Case fuels immigration debate amid political tensions
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Martinez-Hernandez had illegally entered the United States and was deported three times in 2023. The case became a focal point in Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, where he highlighted Morin’s death as part of his push to close the US-Mexico border.
Michael Morin spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last summer, stating:
“Open borders are often portrayed as compassionate and virtuous, but there is nothing compassionate about allowing violent criminals into our country and robbing children of their mother.”
In April, amid growing tensions between the White House and the judiciary over immigration policy, Patty Morin was invited to speak at a media briefing, where she shared graphic details of her daughter’s murder.
While the case has intensified calls for tighter border controls, most studies suggest that undocumented immigrants are not more likely to commit crimes than US citizens. Nonetheless, the Morin family has remained vocal in their support for Trump’s border security agenda.
Source: UGC
Man sentenced to death for killing stepmother
Legit.ng earlier reported that 22-year-old Sagiru Rijiyar-Zaki has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing his stepmother and sister at Rijiyar Zaki Quarters in Kutama village, Gwarzo local government area of Kano state.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu of the Kano High Court found Sagiru guilty of unlawful killing.
As reported by Daily Trust, the court established that Sagiru fatally stabbed his stepmother, Rabi’atu Sagir, and strangled his sister, Munawara, using a scarf.
Source: Legit.ng
