US President Donald Trump has blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the murder of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five from Maryland.
Trump stated that Victor Martinez-Hernandez, the convicted murderer, was allowed into the US by Biden’s immigration policies.
Martinez-Hernandez, a 24-year-old from El Salvador, illegally entered the US in February 2023 and was later arrested in June 2024 for Morin’s murder.
The suspect was found guilty of first-degree kidnapping, rape, and murder, and prosecutors have announced they will seek a life sentence without parole.
Morin’s body was discovered on August 6, 2023, along a trail in Bel Air, Maryland, after she failed to return from a walk.
An investigation led by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office collected DNA evidence, which was matched to Martinez-Hernandez through a DNA database after his arrest in an unrelated crime in Los Angeles.
The case has sparked controversy over immigration policies, with Trump reiterating his stance on stricter border control.
Martinez-Hernandez’s trial had been postponed several times, with his defense team requesting a change of venue due to concerns over receiving a fair trial amid widespread media coverage.