Rachel Morin update: Family of slain Bel Air mother issue fresh plea for leads as profiler gets involved
DNA found at the scene of Morin’s murder matches the DNA left at a home where an unknown man broke into a home in Los Angeles and violently attacked a young girl back in March
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Rachel Morin’s family are pleading for information that leads to an arrest more than a month after her body was found on the Ma & Pa Trail after she failed to return home from an evening hike.
Authorities in Harford County, Maryland, continue to hunt for Morin’s killer amid fears that the suspect could strike again.
Police previously released footage from the scene of a home invasion and assault in Los Angeles, where DNA found matched DNA at the Morin crime scene.
But despite the developments, investigators have yet to make any arrests in the case.
Morin’s brother Michael Morin told NewsNation on Wednesday that his family was hopeful somebody would provide the key piece of information needed to bring the suspect to justice.
“We only need one lead. We need a last name, we already have DNA and video,” Mr Morin said.
Last week, Morin’s sister Rebekah Morin shared a behavioural profile built by a volunteer criminal profiler.
It suggested that the killer has psychopathic traits and may have travelled to Bel Air because he knew someone in the tight-knit community.
Recap: Rachel Morin’s final moments
Just days into a new relationship with Richard Tobin, according to Facebook, the 37-year-old headed to to a popular hiking trail just outside of town around 6pm on Saturday 5 August.
The mother-of-five had been wearing a blue or black tank top, black sports bra, black spandex shorts, and gray sneakers when she was last sighted.
Her new boyfriend reported her missing after she failed to return that night.
Read more:
Recap: who is the suspect accused of murdering Rachel Morin?
Police on Thursday described him as an “unknown male” who is approximately 5ft 9in tall, weighing 160 pounds. They believe him to be approximately Hispanic, 20-30 something with a “muscular build.”
“This individual is believed to have ties to the Los Angeles area and may have been involved in violent crimes in other states,” investigators said after they released footage of the suspect.
His DNA matched DNA left at a home in Los Angeles, where a break-in and assault of a child occurred in March.
Here is the footage:
Rachel Morin’s best friend
“Rachel was so unabashedly herself: witty and genuine, brilliant, daring, and headstrong. Her spirit would light up the room and her smile was contagious,” her best friend Claudia Brown wrote in a Facebook post after her death.
“Her faith was so strong,” she added.
Ms Brown wrote that Ms Morin had been divorced, and was a “fierce protector of her children and loved them with all of her heart.”
In other posts, Ms Brown called Rachel her “soul sister.”
About her five kids
Rachel Morin had five kids, ranging from 8 to 18 who had three different fathers, according to the New York Post. They are each in the custody of their respective dads, the outlet added.
“She was very warm and above all she loved her children,” one of Morin’s clients, Margaret Woltz, told The Post.
“She raised them very well. She had a flexible work schedule that allowed her to make sure her kids were always taken care of. We were like grandparents to the kids and we trusted her implicitly,” she added.
About the LA link
On Thursday, investigators announced a major break in the case, connecting DNA found at the crime scene to a genetic evidence found at a home in LA in March, where an unnamed man broke into a home and assaulted a child.
“We collected DNA from the crime scene. The Maryland State Police analyzed that DNA for us—ran it through the national CODIS system—and that came back as a match to the crime that occurred in Los Angeles where they had recovered DNA from this person,” Col William Davis from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office explained on Thursday.
Hundreds join ‘trail of flowers and light’ to honour Rachel Morin
On Saturday, hundreds of people in the local community joined a remembrance walk to honour the life of the 37-year-old slain mother.
Morin’s sister Rebekah organised the vigil to walk “Rachel’s last steps” on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, where she was found dead on 6 August. Rebekah also posted a heartfelt poem celebrating her sister’s life on Sunday.
“So… sleep on my sister, sleep tight/For now with you the sky is night/But after night will come daybreak/Therefore I will wait hoping to see you awake,” Morin’s grieving sister wrote on Facebook.
Rachel’s brother, John Morin
Her brother, John, has been a lot quieter on social media than her sister Rebekah and her mother, but he has been linking to video footage and the walk in Rachel’s memory.
He also posted a tear jerking post, a screenshotted conversation from two years ago between him and Rachel, with the caption: “Can’t wait to see you again someday soon.”
Community support continues as GoFundMePage flourishes
Rebekah Morin, Rachel’s sister, organized a fundraiser for the mother-of-five’s funeral expenses. She set a goal of raising $65,000, and individuals—some who knew Morin and others who were affected by her tragic death—have donated money and shared kind words.
“This tragedy affects our whole community. I can’t get this off my mind. I only spoke with Rachel once at the Bel Air, ShopRite Grocery store about paper plates. We chatted about families, and she told me about her 5 children. My deepest sympathies to the Morin family for both of your losses. I have prayed for you every day,” someone wrote on the page.
Another contributor wrote, “Don’t know Rachel but I’ve been following this tragedy since Sunday . It’s heartbreaking knowing she was out for a safe hike then tragedy hits. I wanted to contribute to give her a nice memorial and for her kids to be able to have something too. Prayers.”
Outpouring of support for Morin
Locals have posted photos and loving words in memory of Rachel Morin along the Ma and Pa trail in Maryland.
Rachel Morin and Richard Tobin
The pair officially got together on 1 August, according to his Facebook profile.
He has denied any involvement in the case, as people were baselessly pointing fingers at him after she was reported missing. He snapped back to those accusations, saying, “never do anything to her.” He wrote on social media, “Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please.”
Once police released video footage, he wrote on Facebook, urging people “please help identify this scum bag.”
