Illegal Immigrant Sentenced Life Maryland Murder Rachel Morin

Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years without the possibility of parole for the rape and murder of Rachel Morin, a mother of five, on a hiking trail in Bel Air, Maryland. The brutal crime involved assault, bludgeoning, strangulation, and hiding her body, and Martinez-Hernandez was also linked to other violent crimes including a home invasion in Los Angeles and a murder in El Salvador. His case has been cited by President Donald Trump to support his border security crackdown, highlighting Martinez-Hernandez's easy reentry into the U.S. multiple times despite his criminal background and ties to MS-13. The sentencing was described as the maximum penalty, with officials emphasizing the severity of his crimes and the impact on the victim's family. Separately, Tevita Kapawale was sentenced to life imprisonment in Fiji for the murder of five fishing crew members, underscoring international judicial responses to severe violent crimes. Kapawale must serve at least 26 years before parole eligibility, with the court acknowledging the profound suffering caused to the victims' families.