A jury was selected on Wednesday in the trial of a man who’s accused of killing Rachel Morin in 2023 on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, a case that’s received intense national media coverage and become part of the political flashpoint over immigration.

Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey and Deputy State’s Attorney David Ryden and Assistant Public Defenders Marcus Jenkins, Sawyer Hicks and Tara LeCompte, who are representing Victor Martinez-Hernandez, picked the panel along with six alternates after questioning 184 potential jurors over part of two days.

“He enters a plea of not guilty,” Jenkins said. “And he elects to have a trial by jury.”

Prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected on Friday to deliver their opening statements.

Martinez-Hernandez, 24, is charged in Harford County Circuit Court with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree rape, third-degree sex offense and kidnapping. The Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office is seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On Aug. 5, 2023, Morin’s boyfriend, Richard Tobin, reported her missing after she did not return home. Her body was discovered the next day.

Morin, 37, was a mother of five and fitness enthusiast who ran her own housecleaning business. Loved ones described her as a popular and spiritual person who was filled with joy and energy.

Law enforcement alleges that investigators used DNA and genetic genealogy to tie Martinez-Hernandez to the killing. Police arrested him on June 14, 2024, at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that Martinez-Hernandez unlawfully entered the United States around Feb. 13, 2023, near El Paso, Texas. He’s from El Salvador.

Morin’s mother, Patty, campaigned with President Donald Trump and appeared with him on stage. Her brother, Michael, spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Circuit Judge Yolanda L. Curtin is presiding over the trial. The case is expected to conclude by April 16.