Posted at 4:54 PM, January 31, 2025
BEL AIR, Md. (Scripps News Baltimore) — Friday is a big day in court for the family of Rachel Morin.
This photo provided by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office shows Rachel Morin. (Harford County Sheriff’s Office)
A judge will consider what evidence can be used at trial against her alleged killer Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez.
Morin’s family attorney, Randolph Rice, says he expects Hernandez’s lawyers to argue for a change of venue, citing national attention the case has received.
After hearing the evidence, a judge denied the motion. They ruled that “despite the international media attention and political discussions around the case, investigative details have not been publicly released in a way that would compromise jury impartiality.”
RELATED | Rachel Morin’s alleged killer wants change of venue
Hernandez was allegedly in the country illegally from El Salvador, when prosecutors say he raped and murdered the mother of five along the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Hernandez was expelled from the country on three prior occasions.
Morin’s death helped reignite a nationwide immigration debate, highlighted by President Donald Trump’s campaign.
Trump called Morin’s family after Hernandez was captured last June in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Morin’s family then spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention while Trump looked on from the audience.
Hernandez’s defense team claims he’s “been the subject of nationwide public hatred and vilification, notwithstanding that no trial has yet occurred.”
He’s currently scheduled to go on trial April 1.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Baltimore, an E.W. Scripps Company.