Rachel Morin’s mother comes face-to-face with unlawful immigrant homicide suspect Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez

The mom of a Maryland jogger who prosecutors say died by the hands of an unlawful immigrant with a protracted historical past of assaults on ladies and women got here face-to-face with the suspected killer for the primary time in courtroom Friday.

Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, is accused of abducting and brutally assaulting Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mom of 5, on a working path close to her dwelling earlier than hiding her physique in a culvert.

Martinez-Hernandez, carrying a striped jail jumpsuit, handcuffs and shackles, leaned right into a Spanish-language interpreter all through the proceedings, in accordance with Randolph Rice, the lawyer for Morin’s household.

It was his first in-person courtroom look after attending the others just about.

“Seeing Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez enter the courtroom with a flat, impassive expression solely deepens the anguish felt by Rachel Morin’s household,” Rice instructed Fox Information Digital. “That is the person accused of taking Rachel’s life in such a brutal and horrific method, but his demeanor suggests no regret.”

He prevented eye contact with the grieving mom, Patty, different family members and even prosecutors.

“It’s infuriating to assume that if our borders had been correctly secured or the DNA Fingerprint Act had been adopted, this household wouldn’t be enduring this nightmare,” Rice added. “This tragedy was preventable, and at the moment’s courtroom look is a painful reminder to America of the failures in our present immigration system that allowed this particular person to stay undetected till it was too late.”

The homicide suspect’s arrival “introduced an awesome sense of grief and unhappiness to Patty Morin,” who teared up as he took his place on the protection desk, Rice mentioned.

Martinez-Hernandez revealed in courtroom he dropped out of college after seventh grade.

When he first arrived within the US illegally in 2023, he was already suspected of killing a lady in his dwelling nation of El Salvador.

Earlier than making his technique to Maryland, the border “gotaway” allegedly raped a California mom and her 9-year-old daughter of their dwelling.

Martinez-Hernandez waived his proper to a speedy trial and in addition waived a possible battle of curiosity that arose as a consequence of Morin’s boyfriend having as soon as been represented by the identical public defender’s workplace.

“At this time’s postponement was not surprising. We’ve been making ready the household for a prolonged authorized course of,” Rice mentioned. “The household is robust and taking this in stride, realizing that justice will take time. We stay dedicated to making sure that Rachel’s reminiscence is honored and justice is served.”

After the waiver, the choose set a collection of recent listening to dates — a motions listening to for Jan. 31, 2025, a pretrial convention on March 31 and a brand new trial date for April 1. It’s anticipated to final two weeks.

Patty Morin traveled to Capitol Hill final month in a bid to get lawmakers to take the border disaster extra severely. 

Morin instructed the Home Judiciary Committee that if routine protocols had been adopted — like taking a DNA swab and a photograph of Martinez-Hernandez when he was stopped on the border — her daughter might nonetheless be alive.

Interpol already had a warrant for his arrest when he got here to the U.S.

“I understand a few of you’re disinterested on this since you simply assume it’s a partisan factor, however these are American individuals,” Morin instructed lawmakers on the listening to. “We have to shut the borders. … These individuals which can be coming over the border, in the event that they’re coming over illegally, it’s as a result of they’ve one thing to cover.”

New York Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler appeared to nod off in the course of the listening to.

“What I would like to come back throughout is that I actually need the American individuals, members of Congress, senators, presidents … I would like everybody to truly hearken to our voices, hearken to our phrases, hearken to what we have now to say and take it to coronary heart,” Morin instructed Fox Information Digital later. 

“It’s onerous to verbalize the message to them as a result of they have already got the mindset that it is a political factor, that you just’re both for immigration otherwise you’re towards immigration. I don’t assume Individuals are towards immigration if it’s completed accurately.”