Patty Morin, mother of Rachel Morin, joins White House briefing
Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, joined the White House press briefing on Wednesday. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt introduced her after defending the administration's stance on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an unrelated immigration case.
Morin emotionally discussed the brutal murder of her daughter, a 37-year-old mother of five who was killed while hiking on a Maryland trail in 2023. Victor Martinez-Hernandez, a migrant without legal status who had previously been deported, was found guilty earlier this week on counts of first-degree murder, first-degree rape and other charges.
"If you're a mother here in the room, can you imagine standing there alive, you're alive, someone comes and puts their hands into your chest and rips out your heart. That's what it feels like," she said.
As she left the room, reporters thanked her for being here and expressed their condolences for her loss.
"Please tell the truth," she told them. "Tell, like, how violent it really is. This is about protecting our children. It's more than just politics or votes or just anything. It's about national security, protecting Americans, protecting our children. Thank you."
