DNA and doorcam footage from LA home invasion point Maryland investigators in the direction of suspected killer of mom-of-five Rachel Morin
DNA left on victim’s body helped Maryland cops identify man as suspected killer of mom-of-five killed on a hiking trail in Harford County
Rachel Morin, a mom-of-five was murdered on Aug 5 and her body found in a tunnel along a Ma and Pa Heritage hiking trail in Bel Air
Harford Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that DNA found on her body matched that of a person involved in an assault and home invasion in Los Angeles, in March
Yet to be identified suspect is described as muscular Hispanic male, 5 9′, aged 20-30
Morin savagely beaten, stripped naked, and assaulted was discovered in drainage tunnels along the Trail in on Aug 6
Mother-of-five Rachel Morin, [photo], 37, was last seen leaving her home to go hiking on Aug 5. Her body was discovered the next day, naked and beaten in a tunnel along the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail, in Bel Air, MD. Cops identified the suspected killer almost two weeks later
Police announced Thursday that they have identified a suspected in the death of a Maryland mother-of-five who was killed along a hiking trail, almost two weeks after she was declared missing.
Rachel Morin, 37, set out on August 5 for a hike and left her car at the Williams Street trailhead in the center of Bel Air, 20 miles north east of Baltimore.
Richard Tobin, her 27-year-old boyfriend, called police that evening when she failed to return. He told them he had found her car where she left it at the trailhead.
Her body was discovered the day after she disappeared naked and beaten in a tunnel along the scenic Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Harford County.
On Thursday, Harford Sheriffs Office shared footage of a Hispanic man they believe murdered her, showing a clip of him leaving a house 3,000 miles away in LA which he had broken in to and attacked a young girl in March. He was connected to Morin’s murder by DNA.
Tobin, who according to The Baltimore Banner had given investigators a DNA sample and handed over his cell phone, said: ‘I hope they found this scum of the earth, justice for Rachel. Rip, love you Rach.’
She had only recently publicly declared her relationship with Tobin on Facebook, and it was unclear how long they had been together.
Within a week of Rachel Morin had recently announced on Facebook that she was in a relationship with Richard Tobin [photo], she left for a walk, and when she failed to return home Tobin reported her missing. Her naked, battered body was discovered the next day
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday night that they recovered DNA from Morin’s body that was matched through the national law enforcement database to evidence from the crime in Los Angeles.
Investigators who did not know the suspected killer’s name, believe the suspect is male, about 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, between 20 and 30 years old and of Hispanic descent.
DNA from Rachel Morin’s body links this figure caught on doorbell footage from a LA home invasion where a young girl was attacked
Court records show Morin, who ran a home cleaning company, had a history of litigation with her romantic partners, leading to speculation online about her killer.
After numerous people on social media expressed suspicions of victim’s new boyfriend due to his previous brushes with the law, Tobin went on Facebook to declare his innocence in a post that professed his love for Morin adding that he ‘would never do anything to her.’
The yet to be identified Hispanic man, aged between 20 and 30, is wanted for questioning in connection with Morin’s murder.
He is described as being approximately 5ft 9 tall, weighing around 160lbs, and being of muscular build.
Harford sheriffs on Thursday released this footage of a man they want to speak to leaving a house in Los Angeles which he had broken into, and attacked a young girl inside. The footage was recorded in March
The male suspect can be seen walking away from the house in Los Angeles. The DNA left behind at the LA home invasion matches DNA found on the body of Rachel Morin
Police believe the suspect who killed Rachel Morin, a muscular Hispanic man, aged between 20 and 30 said acted alone and are not looking for other suspects
‘We believe this was a person that Rachel didn’t know, potentially a random act of violence,’ said Colonel William Davis, speaking at a Thursday evening news conference.
‘We know nothing more about him other than he was in L.A. in March and we believe him to be the murderer.’
Davis said they are not looking for any accomplices, and told local people to be on their guard.
‘We believe the suspect acted alone and, he does not represent the entire Hispanic community of Harford County, who we are now partnering with to identify this suspect,’ he said.
Morin was last seen leaving her house to go hiking on the Ma and Pa Trail in Harford County, Maryland in the evening of Aug 5. She did not return home and was reported missing. Her body was found in some drainage tunnels along the trail the next day
Harford County sheriff Jeff Gahler who said the 10 deputies working the case have received more than 100 tips, urged people to send in more, even if it appears inconsequential
‘I know I can speak for the sheriff when I say we are very proud of this community.’
Sheriffs said the Los Angeles home invasion, shown in doorbell camera footage, was carried out in March.
‘He is believed to have ties to the Los Angeles area, and may have been involved in violent crimes in other states,’ they said.
Sheriff Jeff Gahler said the 10 deputies working the case have received more than 100 tips. He further urged members of the public to send more tips, even when the information would seem inconsequential.
The body was found August 6 by Michael Gabriszeski, a local resident had joined the search for Morin along with his stepdaughter Cecilia, who was friends with Morin, and her friend Evan, when they came across her remains.
Michael Gabriszeski, [photo], along with his daughter, who happens to be a friend of Morin, and her friend, had joined the search for the missing mom on the Ma & Pa trail in Bel Air, Maryland when the trio came across her remains, that left his daughter traumatized
Gabriszeski, a 48-year-old Native American tracker, said his little group decided to check two drainage tunnels on the trail in Hartford County after noticing ‘disturbances’ on the ground close to the track where the fitness buff reportedly, had taken a walk the night before.
‘Cecilia was the first person to see the body,’ her dad said.
‘She [Cecilia], was hyperventilating really, really bad. And then the police told her to sit down.
‘When she sat down, she realized she was sitting in a big pool of blood.’
Police have declined to comment on how Morin died or the type of injuries she sustained, but sources said when found she was completely naked and appeared to have suffered ‘brutal head trauma’. The 37-year-old is survived by her five children
Local resident Michael Grabiszeski [photo], found Morin’s body. He felt compelled to check out the drainage tunnels on the trail after noticing ‘disturbances’ on the ground near the track where Morin had gone on a walk, he said
‘She was laying on her back, fully naked, and she had brutal head trauma…it looked like her head had been smashed in with a rock.
‘There was a 15 to 20-foot blood trail. So, it looked like she had been beaten and dragged into that position.’
‘It looked like (the killer) was trying to erase her identity,’ Grabiszeski added.
‘The right side of her face was gone.’
Moring reportedly, had suffered severe head trauma.
‘The injuries were so horrific that there won’t be an open casket (at her funeral),’ on source reveals.
Harford County sheriff Jeff Gahler addresses the public about discovering the body of missing mom-of-five Rachel Morin being found. No s arrests have been made, but a homicide investigation is ongoing
The witness described seeing ‘a 15 to 20-foot blood trail’ near Morin’s body and said it seemed like her ‘head had been smashed in with a rock’
Locals participated in a community walk along the Ma and Pa Trail, Bel Air where body of Rachel Morin was found, amid the investigation
Meanwhile, police have reached out to obtain any footage from people who were on the trail over the weekend.
Harford County Sheriff’s Office appealed to the public to come forward with helpful information.
‘If you were on the Ma & Pa Trail on Saturday [August 5], or near the trail or trail heads and took photos or video, we are asking if you would please share them with investigators,’ the statement read..
‘There could be something helpful in one of your photos that might bring us one one more piece of the puzzle,’ adding that as of Thursday morning, detectives have already received nearly 90 tips from concerned community members.
Although law enforcement have not revealed the manner of death or the type of injuries she sustained, her family say she did not ‘go willingly’ and that her death was ‘not accidental’.
Leave a Reply