The family members of Rachel Morin, a mother of five who was allegedly raped and killed by an illegal migrant, have accepted an invitation by former President Donald Trump to attend the upcoming Republican National Convention.
Morin’s family — which includes her half-sister, her two youngest children, her three brothers, and a slate of other relatives — will all be attending the 2024 Republican National Convention next week in Milwaukee, according to the Baltimore Sun. Morin’s half-sister, Erin Layman, is slated to speak Tuesday night at the event about Rachel and the immigration enforcement policies that relate to her death. (RELATED: Biden’s Illegal Immigration Problem Has Gone From Bad To Worse As High-Profile Murders Rock US)
“This is a huge honor because I want to make an impact in Rachel’s name,” Layman said, according to the Baltimore Sun. “I want to give Rachel the proper honor in all of this and for people to know our story and see our family together.”
Morin’s death caught attention last month when her alleged killer was discovered living in the U.S. illegally and arrested.
TAMPA, FL – AUGUST 27: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus bangs the gavel to start the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Morin, a 37-year-old Maryland mother of five, was raped and murdered along a hiking trail in August 2023. Law enforcement authorities in Oklahoma finally nabbed Salvadoran national Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez in June, and charged him for Morin’s death.
Authorities at the time confirmed that Martinez-Hernandez was also wanted for the murder of a woman in his home country and had entered the U.S. illegally before allegedly killing Morin.
This is not the first time Trump has reached out to Morin’s family. Rachel Morin’s mother, Patty Morin, said last month that she was “deeply touched” when the former president called her to offer his condolences. She said Trump’s words “brought comfort to me during this very difficult time”
Morin’s family is embracing the public notoriety her death has attracted, saying her story can help make positive change to prevent similar cases from happening again.
“There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Rachels all over America, so we have to do our part to hopefully make change,” Josh Morin stated, according to the Baltimore Sun. “This is 100% political because it was politics that created this problem, and it is politics that are going to fix it.”
Trump has prominently featured and connected with other “angel” families, which are families whose members have been killed by illegal immigrants, while on the campaign trail.
The former president featured Laken Riley’s family at a campaign event in Georgia in March, roughly one month after she was allegedly killed by an illegal migrant while she was out for a run around the University of Georgia campus. Shortly before stepping onto the debate stage against President Joe Biden last month, he called the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, the 12-year-old who was allegedly sexually assaulted and killed by two illegal migrants.
Giving a platform to illegal migrant crime victims and their family members is something Trump has done over the years. When speaking to the National Border Patrol Council in February 2020, then-President Trump gave time up for Daria Ortiz, the granddaughter of an elderly 92-year-old woman who was raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant in New York City.
“Joe Biden has opened our southern border to roughly 20 million illegal immigrants, including hundreds of terror suspectsand violent criminals who have wreaked havoc on communities across the country,” Trump campaign senior advisor Danielle Alvarez said to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“We are honored that Rachel Morin’s loved ones will address the nation at our Republican National Convention and give Rachel’s story the respect and attention it deserves, as it shows all Americans why we need President Trump to secure our border, deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes against innocent citizens, and make America safe again,” Alvarez continued.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comment from the Trump campaign.
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