The trial for a man charged with murdering a jogger last year in Maryland has been delayed to 2025.
Harford County Circuit Court Judge Yolanda Curtin granted Victor Martinez-Hernandez’s lawyers’ request for a postponement in his murder trial. Martinez-Hernandez was arrested in June for killing and sexually assaulting Rachel Morin at Bel Air’s Ma and Pa Trail in August 2023.
As a result of the October 4 hearing, Martinez-Hernandez’s trial is now scheduled for April 1, 2025.
READ: Hiding in Plain Sight? Suspect Remained in State Amid Manhunt for Rachel Morin’s Killer
According to Patch, Martinez-Hernandez’s lawyers requested additional time to review DNA evidence and surveillance footage in this case. Martinez-Hernandez also waived his right to a speedy trial during that hearing.
“There’s a voluminous amount of evidence to review, including 1 TB of video evidence. Other evidence … are digital, electronic, and chemical (DNA). Their DNA expert has not been able to evaluate the reports and provide their conclusions,” said Matt McMahon, father of one of Morin’s daughters.
The attorney representing Morin’s family, Randolph Rice, told WBAL that the postponement was expected.
“We’ve been preparing the family for a lengthy legal process. The family is strong and taking this in stride, knowing that justice will take time,” he said.
Morin, 37, was found dead in a drainage ditch along the hiking trail a day after her boyfriend reported her missing. Shortly afterward, DNA evidence linked Morin’s murder to a March 2023 home invasion and assault in California.
Police believe that months before Morin’s murder in August, Martinez-Hernandez, 23, assaulted a 9-year-old girl during a home invasion in California.
Martinez-Hernandez allegedly entered the country illegally in February 2023 after killing a woman in El Salvador. Officials said he tried to enter the country three times before successfully crossing the border near El Paso, Texas, on his fourth attempt.
Martinez-Hernandez left behind shoes and two bags of clothes when he left Maryland in May. DNA was taken from those items — which reportedly matched DNA recovered from Morin’s crime scene.
Martinez-Hernandez was arrested at a sports bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma, following an FBI tip.
Martinez-Hernandez allegedly entered the country illegally in February 2023 after killing a woman in El Salvador. Officials said he tried to enter the country three times before successfully crossing the border near El Paso, Texas, on his fourth attempt.
A motions hearing and pretrial conference are scheduled for January 31 and March 31, respectively. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
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