The man convicted of rape in 2023 and murder of Maryland mother Rachel Morin was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
In April, ju judges found Martinez Hernandez, 37-year-old man, guilty of guilty, sexual assault and murder, in August 2023. Prosecutors said Martinez Hernandez illegally entered the United States and was released in 2023 before committing a crime.
Morin, a mother of five, was reported missing by her boyfriend on August 5, 2023 after returning from a hike on the Harford County trail in Maryland. Her body was found in the drainage area the next day. Investigators testified that she was hit in the head with a rock and sexually assaulted, and her body was hidden.
South Dakota Secretary of State Christie Noem, who spoke openly about the crime committed by undocumented immigrants, said, “Rachel Morin’s murderer was sentenced to life in prison without parole for her brutal murder.

Norm also noted her decision to reestablish the victims of her state’s immigration crime engagement (voice) office. First launched under the Trump administration in 2017, the Audio Office was designed to provide resources and support to victims of immigration-related crimes. The Biden administration closed its offices in 2021, replacing it with a broader victim support program.
Martinez Hernandez will serve his sentence without the possibility of parole.
