Thunder quietly rumbled as a crowd gathered at the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air to walk in remembrance of Rachel Morin one year after she was killed.

“I never thought that I would make it a whole year, so thank you,” said Patty Morin, Rachel’s mother. “And thank you for listening to us; I want to keep Rachel’s voice alive.”

Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who enjoyed walking on the trail, was found dead about a mile from the trailhead last August. The suspect, Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, a 23-year-old from El Salvador, was arrested in June 2024 at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is charged with first- and second-degree murder; first- and second-degree rape; third-degree sex offense and kidnapping. He is being held without bail in the Harford County Detention Center and will face three court hearings in October.

Patty Morin reflected on the past year and thanked everyone in the Bel Air and Harford County community for their support. People gathered around a podium while Patty spoke, holding their heads low, many with flowers in hand and one with an American flag as the rain lifted. Law enforcement officers stood in the crowd, joined by Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller and former Gov. Larry Hogan, all of whom made the walk. Patty’s remarks were followed by a song and group prayer before heading down the trail.

With rosary beads in hand, Patty led the group down the trail, stopping occasionally to reflect upon the pictures of Rachel at different ages that hung on trees lining the gravel path. She spoke about Rachel’s connection with her brother, her sweet personality, how she always loved to model and the love she had for her kids, among other stories.

It’s been hard for her “because you don’t ever want to give up your child and have to accept the fact that she’s dead,” Patty said. “And it’s even harder because it didn’t have to happen.”

The walk ended near a picture of Rachel in her late 30s, hanging on a tree next to a bridge ahead of where her body was found. A former Marine in the crowd said he didn’t know Rachel but choked up while speaking to Patty.

Some laid flowers under Rachel’s photo before a circle opened up and the voices of Patty and others filled the woods with “Amazing Grace.”

Rachel’s death garnered national attention in the debate regarding immigration. Hogan told The Baltimore Sun that “we got to stop the politics and stop pointing fingers” to secure the border.

Hogan said he’s spoken with Patty, but this is the first time he was able to give the family a hug. He said he’d do his best to continue staying in touch. The U.S. Senate candidate said he wanted to show support to the Morin family and also thank the community and law enforcement.

“It’s a very difficult thing for them to go through, and you could tell, but I think they’re incredibly strong,” Hogan said. “Like, the mom, I couldn’t have done what she did. I was tearing up, and it wasn’t my daughter.”