(NewsNation) — The suspect charged in connection to the death of 37-year-old Maryland mother Rachel Morin appeared in court Friday morning where a trial date was set for early 2025.
Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an El Salvador national, appeared in Harford County Circuit Court for a motions hearing on charges of rape, kidnapping and murder.
Martinez-Hernandez, through an interpreter, waived his right to a speedy trial. Normally, state law requires a defendant to be tried within 180 days unless they waive that right. The judge set a trial date for April 2025.
The public defender’s office, which is representing Martinez-Hernandez, requested the delay to review evidence, including surveillance video and DNA.
The Morin family anticipated a possible delay in the trial.
“While we hope for timely justice, it is possible that both parties may request a postponement, which could delay the current trial date of October 23, 2024. However, the family remains steadfast in their pursuit of justice for Rachel, and we will continue to push for accountability,” Randolph Rice, the Morin family attorney and spokesperson, said in a news release.
A new motions hearing was scheduled for Jan. 31, 2025, with another pretrial hearing set for March of 2025. The trial is expected to last more than two weeks.
Morin, a mom of five, was first reported missing Aug. 5, 2023, and found the next day on a popular hiking trail in Harford County. Police began a 10-month nationwide search for the suspect they believed to be Martinez-Hernandez, who was 22 years old at the time of the killing.
He was arrested June 15 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was officially indicted July 2 and denied bail, according to court records.
The high-profile killing sparked outrage over the suspect’s immigration status. Martinez-Hernandez entered the U.S. from El Salvador illegally on at least three occasions last year, according to CBS News. He is also wanted for murder in his native country, according to the Tulsa Police Department.
