Mother of Rachel Morin slams Maryland senator for talking about deported El Salvadoran, not daughter

Rachel Morin, a mother of five, was killed while on a hiking trail in Maryland in August of 2023. Her killer, Victor Martinez-Hernandez, was convicted of the murder on Monday.

Published: April 16, 2025 6:08pm

Patty Morin, the mother of the late Rachel Morin who was killed by an illegal migrant from El Salvador, slammed Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Wednesday for focusing on the deportation of a different migrant instead of her daughter.

Rachel Morin, a mother of five, was killed while on a hiking trail in Maryland in August of 2023. Her killer, Victor Martinez-Hernandez, was convicted of the murder on Monday. 

The verdict occurred as another Maryland case has captured national attention: Another El Salvadoran migrant from Maryland, who admitted he was in the country illegally, was mistakenly deported to his homeland over allegations that he is part of the gang, MS-13. Van Hollen, a Democrat, said on Wednesday he was going to try to check on the migrant in person.

Patty Morin criticized the senator during an appearance at the White House, questioning why Van Hollen would care more about the migrant than her daughter. 

"To have a senator from Maryland who didn't even acknowledge — or barely acknowledge — my daughter and the brutal death that she endured, leaving her five children without a mother and now a grandbaby without a grandmother, so that he can use my taxpayer money to fly to El Salvador to bring back someone that's not even an American," she said tearfully. 

"Why does that person have more rights than I do? Than my daughter or grandchildren. I don't understand this," she added.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage. 

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