Rachel Morin murder: Illegal immigrant suspect denied ever being in Maryland at time of crime

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Maryland prosecutors connected Friday rested their lawsuit against Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, the amerciable migrant accused of raping and murdering Bel-Air pistillate Rachel Morin successful August 2023.

Morin, a 37-year-old parent of five, was jogging on the Ma & Pa Trail successful Bel-Air, a quaint assemblage northeast of Baltimore, erstwhile Martinez-Hernandez allegedly ambushed, strangled and bushed her to death.

"This has been an emotionally grueling acquisition for Rachel’s family, but they stay steadfast successful their pursuit of justice," Randolph Rice, the family’s attorney, said successful a Friday statement. "The State has presented a thorough and almighty case. We present await the Defense’s effect and look up to closing arguments to bring this proceedings into its last stage."

Harford County Det. Phil Golden testified Friday arsenic prosecutors played a video of his interrogation with the fishy aft Morin's murder, facilitated by a Spanish interpreter. 

RACHEL MORIN'S ALLEGED ILLEGAL KILLER LEFT SLAIN JOGGER'S BODY ALONG 150-FOOT BLOOD TRAIL

Rachel Morin

Rachel Morin was allegedly ambushed, strangled and beaten to decease by Salvadoran amerciable migrant Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez successful August 2023. (Harford County Sheriff's Office)

In the video interview, Martinez-Hernandez says helium does not cognize Morin and denied being successful Bel Air astatine the clip of her murder, according to FOX 45 Baltimore.

ILLEGAL ACCUSED IN JOGGER RACHEL MORIN'S MURDER SET TO FACE FAMILY, JURY

When pressed astir wherever helium was astatine the time, Martinez-Hernandez, who is from El Salvador, repeated that helium was not successful the country erstwhile Morin was killed.

"I haven't done thing wrong," the fishy tin beryllium heard saying aboriginal successful the interview.

Victor Martinez Hernandez

Victor Martinez Hernandez volition beryllium extradited to Maryland connected June 20. (Tusla Police Department)

At 1 constituent during the interview, Golden shows Martinez-Hernandez a photograph of him posing with his cousin, who lives successful Virginia and testified Thursday that Martinez-Hernandez had stayed with her and her husband. 

MARYLAND SHERIFF'S ‘GUT’ SAYS RACHEL MORIN WAS ‘STALKED’ BY SUSPECT BEFORE HER MURDER

The fishy archetypal denied knowing astir the photograph and past aboriginal admitted it was him, FOX 45 reported.

WATCH BODYCAM FOOTAGE OF MARTINEZ-HERNANDEZ'S ARREST:

Martinez-Hernandez would yet admit to constabulary aft his apprehension that helium was successful Bel-Air astatine the clip of the execution aft initially lying and providing a mendacious identity. 

When authorities searched his phone, they said they discovered net queries for "Bel Air, [Md.]" and "Rachel"—including a misspelled mentation of Morin's name—along with images of Morin and media sum related to the investigation.

WATCH: BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF MIGRANT ACCUSED IN MURDER, RAPE OF MARYLAND MOM RACHEL MORIN

Family of Rachel Morin whose accused murderer is an amerciable  immigrant

Randolph Rice, left, Patty Morin, center, and Rebekah Morin, right, get astatine Harford County Courthouse successful Bel-Air, MD, Friday, April 4, 2025, for the execution proceedings of Victor Antonio Martinez who is accused of murdering Rachel Morin. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

Golden besides reportedly questioned Martinez-Hernandez astir his DNA that was allegedly recovered astatine the country of Morin's murder.

"No 2 radical person the aforesaid DNA," Golden tin beryllium heard telling the fishy successful the interview.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INDICTED FOR RACHEL MORIN'S MURDER IN ‘CRUCIAL STEP’: FAMILY LAWYER

Rachel Morin

The Harford County Sheriff's Office successful MD is looking for missing pistillate Rachel Morin. (Harford County Sheriff's Office)

During his testimony, Golden recalled Martinez-Hernandez telling him helium "didn't know" however his DNA got to the transgression scene, arsenic FOX 45 reported.

"[I]f idiosyncratic wanted to bash him harm, they could person taken his DNA and enactment it somewhere," Golden recalled during his testimony.

Murder fishy  successful  handcuffs is escorted by instrumentality    enforcement

Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, arrives successful Maryland. He is charged with first-degree execution and first-degree rape successful Rachel Morin's decease connected the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail successful Bel Air, Maryland. (Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun/Getty Images)

Autopsy results revealed that Morin had endured 15 to 20 blows to the caput and had died from a operation of strangulation and blunt unit trauma. Her decease was officially ruled a homicide.

In opening statements connected April 4, Harford County State's Attorney Alison Healey said that acrophobic assemblage members had gone on the walking way aft seeing missing idiosyncratic posters connected Facebook.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT IN RACHEL MORIN'S MURDER EXPECTED TO ARGUE FOR A CHANGE OF VENUE

A photograph  of Rachel Morin is posted connected  a histrion   on  a hiking route

A photograph of Rachel Morin is posted to a histrion by her household past nighttime on the Ma and Pa Trail successful Bel Air, MD, Thursday, August 10, 2023. The 37-year-old was murdered connected Sunday evening portion hiking the trail. (Mega for Fox News Digital)

Along the creek line, they recovered a way that resembled a cervid trail, with flattened leaves, earlier uncovering rocks with humor connected them. The brace walked done 2 tunnels, with overgrown brush, wherever they recovered Morin's body, Healey said.

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"I saw an unclothed quality assemblage connected her back. At first, I genuinely thought it mightiness person been a cervid oregon thing that had died successful there," Evan Knapp, who recovered Rachel Morin’s body, testified. "So, I had to determination a spot person to corroborate what I had seen, and it was a human. I consciousness similar clip froze for a 2nd and I didn’t cognize what I was looking at."

A adjacent  up   of hands holding papers

A policeman holds fliers requesting accusation connected the execution of Rachel Morin astatine the Ma and Pa Trail successful Bel Air, Maryland, connected Tuesday, August 8, 2023. The way is wherever 37-year-old Rachel Morin was recovered dormant connected Sunday. (Mega for Fox News Digital)

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The defence is expected to telephone witnesses connected Monday, and the justice advised that closing arguments volition apt beryllium delivered Monday, arsenic well.

Rachel Morin’s household has been contiguous for each time of the proceedings truthful acold and are expected to enactment until its conclusion.

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