BEL AIR, Md. — After a more than 10-month-long search, a marked police car returns 23-year-old Victor Martinez Hernandez to Harford County where he will be detained about a mile from where Rachel Morin’s body was found.
“I think there’s a sense of relief as there was when we announced the arrest,” said Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, “but also a sense of… I don’t want to say satisfaction. I’m not sure what the right emotion is, but knowing that he is back here in Harford County to answer for the horrific thing that he did here to Rachel.”
Signs announcing the arrest have gone up along the Ma & Pa Trail where Morin was killed, but even with the suspect behind bars, the sheriff says no one should ever take their safety for granted.
“People should always be mindful,” said Gahler, “There are those here who exist to hurt and do terrible things so you should never let your guard down, be aware of your surroundings, don’t set routines—-all those things that we’ve spoke about before are just everyday life practices living in the United States in 2024.”
Questions remain surrounding what brought the suspect to Maryland in the first place.
That remains the focus of an ongoing investigation, which may be closing in on finding an answer.
“Investigators believe that they have a good lead on what it was,” said Gahler, “We’re just not free to discuss it at this point—-what brought him here to Harford County.”
“Family? Gang? You can’t go into even a general area?” we asked.
“It could be one or all of the above,” he replied.
