A juror was dismissed Wednesday in the trial of Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, the Salvadoran native suspected of raping and killing Bel Air’s 37-year-old Rachel Morin on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in August 2023.

Wednesday, the sixth day of the trial, began with Harford County Circuit Court Judge Yolanda Curtin, the defense, prosecutors and Martinez-Hernandez gathering in the front of the courtroom for a sidebar.

Jurors were brought out from the jury room in turn to join the sidebar, but in one case, a court official simply collected the juror’s belongings, and he left the courtroom. The reasons for the juror’s dismissal were not disclosed by the court.

Before Wednesday’s dismissal, the jury had been made up of 10 men and two women, including two people of color. Now, there are three women and three people of color; the dismissed juror’s seat was filled by a Black woman.

Alternative jurors are those who are present throughout the entire trial but do not deliberate on the jury’s final decision during deliberation. Alternative jurors are used to fill vacancies on the jury should a juror no longer be able to serve.

The dismissal is the second in Martinez-Hernandez’s trial. Last week, the day after a jury was seated, a Black woman with mobility issues who was seated as an alternative juror was dismissed. No reason was given for her dismissal by the court.

Jury selection began April 1, with prosecutors and defense attorneys asking jurors specific questions about their backgrounds and beliefs. Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healy said court adjourned at about 7:45 p.m., after 59 potential jurors were eliminated from the pool of 124.

A jury was seated April 2, and opening statements, along with testimony from Morin’s boyfriend and two oldest daughters, were given Friday. Morin had been a mother of five.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.