Rachel Morin – latest: Bel Air mother-of-five’s killer remains at large as Maryland police step up patrols
More than a week after mother-of-five Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular trail in Maryland, authorities have yet to make any arrests in the investigation into her death.
Morin, 37, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail at around 6pm on 5 August. Her boyfriend reported her missing that night after she failed to return home and her body was found the following day.
On Thursday, Harford County Sheriff’s Office said investigators had been made aware of potential witnesses who may have seen Morin on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air on Saturday. The witnesses – either three men, two women and two dogs or two men, three women and two dogs – were urged to come forward.
Officials said that these individuals had been identified and were contacted by investigators.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told The Independent on Tuesday that the department had increased patrol on the Ma & Pa Trail area to reassure the community in the aftermath of Morin’s tragic death, but noted that there is no perceived threat at this time.
Key points
Rachel Morin last seen alive heading to Ma and Pa hiking trail in Maryland
Mother-of-five killed just a week after her baby niece died
Boyfriend breaks silence over death to deny involvement
Morin’s sister launches GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses
Maryland police confirm body found on trail is missing mom-of-five Rachel Morin
Saturday 12 August 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco
The identity of a body found on a Maryland hiking trail on Sunday has been confirmed as mother-of-five Rachel Morin.
A spokesperson for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office told The Independent that the medical examiner’s office had identified the 37-year-old’s body on Monday.
The spokesperson could not provide a cause of death, what injuries she suffered, or whether any suspects have been identified.
Morin was reported missing after she failed to return from a hike on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore, on Saturday night.
Her body was found by a member of the public along the 6.25m (10km) trail just after 1pm on Sunday.
Where is The Ma and Pa Trail?
Saturday 12 August 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco
The 6.25 mile (10km) trail gets its name from the former Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad corridor that ran through the town of Bel Air in Harford County.
The track was dismantled in the 1950s, and later turned into a heritage trail along the railroad’s former route.
It consists of a 3.3mile section through Bel Air and a 1.7mile segment in neighbouring Forest Hill.
According to Alltrails.com, the trail is moderately challenging and takes around 2 hours and 25 minutes to complete.
In the wake of Ms Morin’s death, authorities have warned hikers to take particular care and be aware of their surroundings.
GoFundMe started by Rachel Morin’s family tops $42,000
Saturday 12 August 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp
A GoFundMe launched to help with funeral expenses for Rachel Morin has now topped $42,000.
“It is with devastating sadness and a broken heart that our family has been hit with yet another heartbreak. My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement. I have made a gofundme to help my mother, Patty Morin with funeral costs. There was no life insurance in place,” the GoFundMe read.
“This was not an accidentally death, and she did not go willingly and she deserves a funeral worthy of her her beauty. If there are any remaining funds they will go towards things her 5 children may need. Please share, donate, comment and keep this going.
“Once we have made the arrangements I will update with service dates and times. If you wish to donate directly please message me on Facebook.”
As of Friday morning, it had reached $42, 317.
Developments in Rachel Morin’s case
Saturday 12 August 2023 14:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Saturday, 5 August
6pm – Rachel Morin is last seen heading out to run on the Ma & Pa Trail in northern Maryland.
11.23pm – The boyfriend of Rachel reports her missing after she does not return home.
Police begin searching for Rachel on the trail and surrounding areas.
Sunday, 6 August
1pm – Body of female victim located off of the Ma & Pa Trail is reported to police.
Monday, 7 August
Police confirm the body found on the rail is Rachel Morin.
No suspect identified in Rachel Morin’s death
Saturday 12 August 2023 17:00 , Andrea Blanco
Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler said investigators do not yet have a “solid suspect” in the killing of Rachel Morin.
“We do not have a solid suspect. Not knowing whether this was a targeted event specific to Rachel, we are going to say, yes, be aware, be thinking there could be somebody out here and this is a random event,” Mr Gahler said.
Mr Gahler urged the public to be vigilant when walking along the Ma & Pa Trail and said there will be increased patrols along the trail.
Rachel Morin’s boyfriend says he ‘would never do anything to her’
Saturday 12 August 2023 20:00 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin, 37, disappeared after reportedly heading out for a hike on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Hartford County, at around 6pm on Saturday.
Her boyfriend Richard Tobin, 27, reported her missing at around 11pm that night after she failed to return, Hartford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told a press conference on Sunday.
Authorities launched a missing person investigation and Ms Morin’s car was found at the Williams St entrance to the trail on Sunday morning. A member of the public found a woman’s body near the trail at 1.07pm, and authorities launched a homicide investigation as they await formal confirmation of the deceased’s identity and cause of death from the medical examiner’s office.
On Sunday night, Mr Tobin took to social media to state his innocence while also making reference to his lengthy criminal rap sheet.
“I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve,” Mr Tobin wrote.
“Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please.”
Rachel Morin ‘did not go willingly,’ according to sister
Saturday 12 August 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco
Ms Morin’s devastated sister Rebekah Morin confirmed in a post on a GoFundme page that the remains located on the Ma and Pa Trail belonged to her sister.
Rachel Morin was last seen alive heading off on the Ma and Pa Trail near Bel Air in Maryland
“My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6 pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement,” she wrote.
Rebekah Morin added her death was “not accidental”, and she “did not go willingly”.
She also revealed that the family had been devastated by the loss of her niece to sudden infant death syndrome just a week earlier.
Rachel Morin’s chilling Facebook post before mother-of-five found dead on Maryland hiking trail
Sunday 13 August 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin shared a post on Facebook that hinted at her possible affinity for thrill months before she was found dead along a forest trail in Maryland.
The Independent’s Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports:
Rachel Morin’s Facebook post before she was found dead on Maryland hiking trail
WATCH: Harford County sheriff provides update on Rachel Morin case
Sunday 13 August 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco
A man claimed he saw Rachel Morin’s body, but police says he is lying
Sunday 13 August 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco
Michael Gabriszeski, the Maryland man who claimed he saw the body of 37-year-old Rachel Morin was not even “within eyesight of the crime scene” when she was found, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office told The Independent.
Mr Gabriszeski, 49, claimed to multiple news outlets that he and his stepdaughter came across Morin’s body on Sunday when they joined the search for the missing mother-of-five, who had vanished on Saturday after going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland.
Mr Gabriszeski said that his stepdaughter, who he said was a friend of Morin’s, was the first to discover the body in a tunnel near the trail before they alerted police.
But a spokesperson for the Harford County’s Sheriff’s Office confirmed to The Independent on Thursday that Mr Gabriszeski “did not find Rachel’s body” and that he did not “view her body.”
Homicide investigation continues after mother-of-five was found dead
Sunday 13 August 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin was last seen alive leaving her home to head to the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Harford County, at around 6pm on Saturday evening, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
When the 37-year-old failed to return home that night, her boyfriend called police to report her missing. On Sunday morning, Morin’s vehicle was found at the parking lot close to the entrance of the trail on Williams Street but there was no sign of the missing mother-of-five.
The desperate search turned to tragedy at around 1.07pm on Sunday afternoon when a member of the public discovered the body of a woman off the trail.
In a press conference on Sunday night, Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler announced that the investigation had now changed from a missing persons investigation to a homicide investigation.The cause and manner of death remain unclear and are still under investigation, the sheriff’s office said.
At this time, the sheriff said that police have no suspects.
Sheriff urges the public to keep sending in tips
Sunday 13 August 2023 14:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler reiterated that the public should continue sending in tips even if the details may seem insignificant.
“That might be the key piece of evidence of information we are looking for,” the sheriff said.
“Some of your tips have been promising and tremendous in advancing the investigation and bringing us closer to getting the answers that we need, the answers that Rachel’s family needs, and the answers that our community needs.”
#Alert Rachel Morin Investigation
If you were on the Ma & Pa Trail on Saturday, or near the trail or trail heads and took photos or video, we are asking if you would please share them with investigators. Please send it to Sgt. Maddox at maddoxc@harfordsheriff.org.— Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) August 8, 2023
WATCH: Rachel Morin's boyfriend speaks out about her death
Sunday 13 August 2023 17:00 , Andrea Blanco
Report: Rachel Morin’s boyfriend provided DNA sample, cellphone to police
Sunday 13 August 2023 20:00 , Andrea Blanco
Ms Morin’s boyfriend Richard Tobin reported him missing on Saturday after she failed to return home.
Responding to speculation in the case, Mr Tobin, 27, previously said on a Facebook post that he “would never do anything” to Morin.
A source close to Mr Tobin has since told The Baltimore Banner that he gave his cell phone and a DNA sample to police.
Authorities have not identified any suspects in the investigation.
On Thursday, Harford County Sheriff’s Office said investigators had been made aware of potential witnesses who may have seen Morin on the trail that night. The witnesses – either three men, two women and two dogs or two men, three women and two dogs – were urged to come forward.
Rachel Morin’s mother breaks silence on daughter’s killing
Sunday 13 August 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco
The mother of Rachel Morin has broken her silence with a plea for compassion as the family takes time to grieve the “sudden and tragic” loss of the 37-year-old whose body was found after she vanished while going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air.
Maryland police set up tip email in Rachel Morin’s homicide investigation
Monday 14 August 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco
‘Trail of flowers and light’ planned to honour Rachel Morin’s life
Monday 14 August 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco
Morin’s family invited members of the community to meet at 11 am on 19 August at the William Street entrance of the Ma and Pa trail.
Attendees will then begin walking to the end of the first half of the trail and back.
“We are hoping to have a “Trail of Flowers and Light” to line both sides of the trail for our walk on the Ma & Pa Trail,” Morin’s sister Rebekah Morin wrote on Facebook. “If you are able to, we ask that you bring flowers and a battery operated candle to lay on either side of the trail somewhere as we walk Rachel’s last steps.”
Who was Rachel Morin?
Monday 14 August 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco
Ms Morin was originally from Dover, New Hampshire, and was a long-term resident of Bel Air. She was one of five siblings.
Her sister Rebekah, herself a mother of seven children, revealed on a GoFundMe page that the family had been grieving the death of their niece Lily Beth to sudden infant death syndrome just a week earlier.
“It is with devastating sadness and a broken heart that our family has been hit with yet another heartbreak.
“My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement. It has only been a week since my niece Lily Beth passed away from SIDS, and I find that I have to make yet another gofundme to help my mother, Patty Morin with funeral costs.”
Rebekah confirmed that her sister did not have life insurance, and appealed for financial assistance to provide for her five surviving children.
In an update, Rebekah asked for anyone with information to notify law enforcement to “get justice for my sister, her children, her mother and all her siblings”.
On social media, Rachel Morin posted touching photos with her children, selfies at the gym and spending time with friends.
“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,”
Rebekah Morin shares heartbreaking poem in memory of slain sister
Monday 14 August 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco
“Shrouded in grief/Suffocating /In soul crushing/Heartbreak,” Ms Morin wrote in a poem shared on Facebook.. “A pain I know well/And hate/My sister/My friend/Now gone/Alone I am/With my pain/My old friend/The only one/That stays til the end.”
Rachel Morin’s family walks in remembrance of ‘the most beautiful, sweet and loving woman’
Monday 14 August 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin’s family walked the Ma and Pa trail together in silent remembrance of the late mother-of-five, her sister Rebekah Morin wrote on Facebook last week.
“Along the way we placed pictures of her and us her siblings on the trees. I was thinking how beautiful would it be to have flowers along both sides of the trail in remembrance of her!” Ms Morin wrote. “If you would like to place flowers along the way, or take pics of what we put up, we would love to see, please post a picture and use the hashtag #RememberingRachelMorin to honor and remember the most beautiful, sweet and loving woman I have known”
Rachel Morin’s family faced tragedy just days before the mother-of-five was killed
Monday 14 August 2023 15:43 , Andrea Blanco
Ms Morin’s sister Rebekah, herself a mother of seven children, revealed on a GoFundMe page that the family had been grieving the death of their niece Lily Beth to sudden infant death syndrome just a week earlier.
“It is with devastating sadness and a broken heart that our family has been hit with yet another heartbreak.
“My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement. It has only been a week since my niece Lily Beth passed away from SIDS, and I find that I have to make yet another gofundme to help my mother, Patty Morin with funeral costs.”
Rebekah confirmed that her sister did not have life insurance, and appealed for financial assistance to provide for her five surviving children.
Slain mother-of-five was devoted to her children, according to employers
Monday 14 August 2023 16:56 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin’s boss Margaret Woltz told The New York Post that Morin “loved her children above all.”
“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,” Ms Woltz, 69, said.
Ms Woltz, who hired Morin’s cleaning services, also said that she seemed distracted during the week before her death.
Report: Rachel Morin’s boyfriend provided DNA sample, cellphone to police
Monday 14 August 2023 18:01 , Andrea Blanco
Ms Morin’s boyfriend Richard Tobin reported him missing on Saturday after she failed to return home.
Responding to speculation in the case, Mr Tobin, 27, previously said on a Facebook post that he “would never do anything” to Morin.
A source close to Mr Tobin has since told The Baltimore Banner that he gave his cell phone and a DNA sample to police.
Authorities have not identified any suspects in the investigation.
On Thursday, Harford County Sheriff’s Office said investigators had been made aware of potential witnesses who may have seen Morin on the trail that night. The witnesses – either three men, two women and two dogs or two men, three women and two dogs – were urged to come forward.
Where is The Ma and Pa Trail?
Monday 14 August 2023 20:18 , Andrea Blanco
The 6.25 mile (10km) trail gets its name from the former Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad corridor that ran through the town of Bel Air in Harford County.
The track was dismantled in the 1950s, and later turned into a heritage trail along the railroad’s former route.
It consists of a 3.3mile section through Bel Air and a 1.7mile segment in neighbouring Forest Hill.
According to Alltrails.com, the trail is moderately challenging and takes around 2 hours and 25 minutes to complete.
In the wake of Ms Morin’s death, authorities have warned hikers to take particular care and be aware of their surroundings.
Police department purchases ATV amid Rachel Morin investigation
Monday 14 August 2023 21:41 , Andrea Blanco
Just a week after Morin’s homicide rocked the town of Bel Air in Maryland, the Harford County Sheriff’s Foundation has purchased a new Gator ATV in response to an “immediate police operational need,” Fox Digital News reports.
According to WBALTV, law enforcement has increased patrols along the Ma and Pa Trail in the aftermath of Morin’s homicide.
It is unclear if the new vehicle is being actively used in the Morin case. The Independent has reached out to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said that three potential witnesses have been identified and were contacted by investigators.
More than a week after Rachel Morin’s death, investigators do not have a suspect
Monday 14 August 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco
Investigators do not yet have a “solid suspect” in the killing of Rachel Morin.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler said in the latest update last week that it was unclear whether the homicide was targeted.
“We do not have a solid suspect. Not knowing whether this was a targeted event specific to Rachel, we are going to say, yes, be aware, be thinking there could be somebody out here and this is a random event,” Mr Gahler said.
Law enforcement has since said that potential witnesses have been identified and contacted by detectives.
Mr Gahler urged the public to be vigilant when walking along the Ma & Pa Trail and said there will be increased patrols along the trail.
Sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed Rachel Morin
Tuesday 15 August 2023 00:30 , Andrea Blanco
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler vowed to bring the “heinous coward” who killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin to justice - though investigators still have yet to identify a suspect.
Mr Gahler did not share many details in the update over concern of “jeopardising the ongoing probe,” but said there was one thing he was sure of, and that “this was an intentional taking of a person’s life.”
“Together we will solve this crime and find the heinous coward who took Rachel Morin from her family and friends,” Mr Gahler said on Wednesday.
The Independent’s Andrea Cavallier reports:
Sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed Rachel Morin
Richard Tobin says he ‘would never do anything’ to slain girlfriend Rachel Morin
Tuesday 15 August 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin, 37, disappeared after reportedly heading out for a hike on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Hartford County, at around 6pm on 5 August.
Her boyfriend Richard Tobin, 27, reported her missing at around 11pm that night after she failed to return, Hartford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told a press conference on Sunday.
Authorities launched a missing person investigation and Ms Morin’s car was found at the Williams St entrance to the trail on the morning of 7 August. A member of the public found a woman’s body near the trail at 1.07pm, and authorities launched a homicide investigation as they await formal confirmation of the deceased’s identity and cause of death from the medical examiner’s office.
Last week, Mr Tobin took to social media to state his innocence while also making reference to his lengthy criminal rap sheet.
“I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve,” Mr Tobin wrote.
“Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please.”
Maryland police set up tip email in Rachel Morin’s homicide investigation
Tuesday 15 August 2023 03:30 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin’s grieving mother pens letter asking for compassion and space to mourn
Tuesday 15 August 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco
The mother of Rachel Morin has broken her silence with a plea for compassion as the family takes time to grieve the “sudden and tragic” loss of the 37-year-old whose body was found after she vanished while going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air.
WATCH: Rachel Morin's boyfriend speaks out about her death
Tuesday 15 August 2023 06:30 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin’s boyfriend provided DNA sample, cellphone to police
Tuesday 15 August 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco
Ms Morin’s boyfriend Richard Tobin reported him missing on Saturday after she failed to return home.
Responding to speculation in the case, Mr Tobin, 27, previously said on a Facebook post that he “would never do anything” to Morin.
A source close to Mr Tobin has since told The Baltimore Banner that he gave his cell phone and a DNA sample to police.
Authorities have not identified any suspects in the investigation.
On Thursday, Harford County Sheriff’s Office said investigators had been made aware of potential witnesses who may have seen Morin on the trail that night. The witnesses – either three men, two women and two dogs or two men, three women and two dogs – were urged to come forward.
Sheriff says his department has received ‘promising tips’ in Rachel Morin homicide case
Tuesday 15 August 2023 09:30 , Andrea Blanco
Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler reiterated that the public should continue sending in tips even if the details may seem insignificant.
“That might be the key piece of evidence of information we are looking for,” the sheriff said.
“Some of your tips have been promising and tremendous in advancing the investigation and bringing us closer to getting the answers that we need, the answers that Rachel’s family needs, and the answers that our community needs.”
#Alert Rachel Morin Investigation
If you were on the Ma & Pa Trail on Saturday, or near the trail or trail heads and took photos or video, we are asking if you would please share them with investigators. Please send it to Sgt. Maddox at maddoxc@harfordsheriff.org.— Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) August 8, 2023
Rachel Morin’s family plans ‘trail of flowers and light’ walk to honour her life
Tuesday 15 August 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco
Morin’s family invited members of the community to meet at 11 am on 19 August at the William Street entrance of the Ma and Pa trail.
Attendees will then begin walking to the end of the first half of the trail and back.
“We are hoping to have a “Trail of Flowers and Light” to line both sides of the trail for our walk on the Ma & Pa Trail,” Morin’s sister Rebekah Morin wrote on Facebook. “If you are able to, we ask that you bring flowers and a battery operated candle to lay on either side of the trail somewhere as we walk Rachel’s last steps.”
Police department purchases ATV amid Rachel Morin investigation
Tuesday 15 August 2023 12:30 , Andrea Blanco
Just a week after Morin’s homicide rocked the town of Bel Air in Maryland, the Harford County Sheriff’s Foundation has purchased a new Gator ATV in response to an “immediate police operational need,” Fox Digital News reports.
According to WBALTV, law enforcement has increased patrols along the Ma and Pa Trail in the aftermath of Morin’s homicide.
It is unclear if the new vehicle is being actively used in the Morin case. The Independent has reached out to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said that three potential witnesses have been identified and were contacted by investigators.
Slain mother-of-five ‘loved her children above all,’ employers say
Tuesday 15 August 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin’s boss Margaret Woltz told The New York Post that Morin “loved her children above all.”
“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,” Ms Woltz, 69, said.
Ms Woltz, who hired Morin’s cleaning services, also said that she seemed distracted during the week before her death.
Rachel Morin’s boyfriend says he ‘would never do anything to her’
Tuesday 15 August 2023 23:06 , Bevan Hurley
The boyfriend of a Maryland mother-of-five has denied involvement in her death, after police launched a homicide probe into the death of a woman whose body was found on a popular hiking trail.
Rachel Morin, 37, disappeared after reportedly heading out for a hike on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Hartford County, at around 6pm on 5 August.
Her boyfriend Richard Tobin, 27, reported her missing at around 11pm that night after she failed to return, Hartford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told a press conference.
Authorities launched a missing person investigation and Ms Morin’s car was found at the Williams St entrance to the trail on the morning of 6 August.
A member of the public found a woman’s body near the trail at 1.07pm, and authorities launched a homicide investigation as they await formal confirmation of the deceased’s identity and cause of death from the medical examiner’s office.
On Sunday night, Mr Tobin took to social media to state his innocence while also making reference to his lengthy criminal rap sheet.
“I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve,” Mr Tobin wrote.
“Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please.”
Who was Rachel Morin?
Tuesday 15 August 2023 15:44 , Andrea Blanco
Ms Morin was originally from Dover, New Hampshire, and was a long-term resident of Bel Air. She was one of five siblings.
Her sister Rebekah, herself a mother of seven children, revealed on a GoFundMe page that the family had been grieving the death of their niece Lily Beth to sudden infant death syndrome just a week earlier.
“It is with devastating sadness and a broken heart that our family has been hit with yet another heartbreak.
“My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement. It has only been a week since my niece Lily Beth passed away from SIDS, and I find that I have to make yet another gofundme to help my mother, Patty Morin with funeral costs.”
Rebekah confirmed that her sister did not have life insurance, and appealed for financial assistance to provide for her five surviving children.
In an update, Rebekah asked for anyone with information to notify law enforcement to “get justice for my sister, her children, her mother and all her siblings”.
On social media, Rachel Morin posted touching photos with her children, selfies at the gym and spending time with friends.
“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,”
Rachel Morin’s family walks in remembrance of ‘the most beautiful, sweet and loving woman’
Tuesday 15 August 2023 16:59 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin’s family walked the Ma and Pa trail together in silent remembrance of the late mother-of-five, her sister Rebekah Morin wrote on Facebook last week.
“Along the way we placed pictures of her and us her siblings on the trees. I was thinking how beautiful would it be to have flowers along both sides of the trail in remembrance of her!” Ms Morin wrote. “If you would like to place flowers along the way, or take pics of what we put up, we would love to see, please post a picture and use the hashtag #RememberingRachelMorin to honor and remember the most beautiful, sweet and loving woman I have known”
Law enforcement urges the public to keep sending in tips
Tuesday 15 August 2023 18:00 , Andrea Blanco
Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler reiterated that the public should continue sending in tips even if the details may seem insignificant.
“That might be the key piece of evidence of information we are looking for,” the sheriff said.
“Some of your tips have been promising and tremendous in advancing the investigation and bringing us closer to getting the answers that we need, the answers that Rachel’s family needs, and the answers that our community needs.”
Man who claimed to have seen Morin’s dead body was lying, Maryland police say
Tuesday 15 August 2023 18:41 , Andrea Blanco
Following the discovery of Morin’s body on Monday, 49-year-old Michael Gabriszeski said that his stepdaughter, who he said was a friend of Morin’s, was the first to discover the body in a tunnel near the trail before they alerted police.
On Thursday, multiple media outlets published interviews in which Mr Gabriszeski described seeing Morin’s remains in a horrifying state.
But the Harford County Sheriff’s Office has since told The Independent that Mr Gabriszeski was not even “within eyesight of the crime scene” when she was found.
A spokesperson for the law enforcement agency confirmed that Mr Gabriszeski “did not find Rachel’s body” and that he did not “view her body.”
“He has no first-hand knowledge of the crime scene,” the sheriff’s office added.
Rachel Morin’s family faced tragedy just days before the mother-of-five was killed
Tuesday 15 August 2023 21:02 , Andrea Blanco
Ms Morin’s sister Rebekah, herself a mother of seven children, revealed on a GoFundMe page that the family had been grieving the death of their niece Lily Beth to sudden infant death syndrome just a week earlier.
“It is with devastating sadness and a broken heart that our family has been hit with yet another heartbreak.
“My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement. It has only been a week since my niece Lily Beth passed away from SIDS, and I find that I have to make yet another gofundme to help my mother, Patty Morin with funeral costs.”
Rebekah confirmed that her sister did not have life insurance, and appealed for financial assistance to provide for her five surviving children.
Rachel Morin’s opens up about daughter’s killing
Tuesday 15 August 2023 21:44 , Andrea Blanco
The mother of Rachel Morin has broken her silence with a plea for compassion as the family takes time to grieve the “sudden and tragic” loss of the 37-year-old whose body was found after she vanished while going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air.
Law enforcement says ‘promising tips’ have been submitted
Tuesday 15 August 2023 22:52 , Andrea Blanco
Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler reiterated that the public should continue sending in tips even if the details may seem insignificant.
“That might be the key piece of evidence of information we are looking for,” the sheriff said.
“Some of your tips have been promising and tremendous in advancing the investigation and bringing us closer to getting the answers that we need, the answers that Rachel’s family needs, and the answers that our community needs.”
WATCH: Rachel Morin's boyfriend speaks out about her death
Wednesday 16 August 2023 00:30 , Andrea Blanco
Patrols increased on Ma & Pa Trail to reassure community, sheriff’s office say
02:00 , Andrea Blanco
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told The Independent on Tuesday that the department had increased patrol on the Ma & Pa Trail area to reassure the community in the aftermath of Morin’s tragic death, but noted that there is no perceived threat at this time.
Where is The Ma and Pa Trail?
03:30 , Andrea Blanco
The 6.25 mile (10km) trail gets its name from the former Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad corridor that ran through the town of Bel Air in Harford County.
The track was dismantled in the 1950s, and later turned into a heritage trail along the railroad’s former route.
It consists of a 3.3mile section through Bel Air and a 1.7mile segment in neighbouring Forest Hill.
According to Alltrails.com, the trail is moderately challenging and takes around 2 hours and 25 minutes to complete.
In the wake of Ms Morin’s death, authorities have warned hikers to take particular care and be aware of their surroundings.
WATCH: Harford County sheriff discusses Rachel Morin case
05:00 , Andrea Blanco
Law enforcement sets up tip email in Rachel Morin investigation
06:30 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin’s family plans ‘trail of flowers and light’ walk retracing her last steps
08:00 , Andrea Blanco
Morin’s family invited members of the community to meet at 11 am on 19 August at the William Street entrance of the Ma and Pa trail.
Attendees will then begin walking to the end of the first half of the trail and back.
“We are hoping to have a “Trail of Flowers and Light” to line both sides of the trail for our walk on the Ma & Pa Trail,” Morin’s sister Rebekah Morin wrote on Facebook. “If you are able to, we ask that you bring flowers and a battery operated candle to lay on either side of the trail somewhere as we walk Rachel’s last steps.”
Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular Maryland hiking trail. Her sister says she ‘did not go willingly’
09:30 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities have warned hikers that hiking trails around Bel Air may not be safe.
The Independent’s Bevan Hurley reports:
Rachel Morin’s homicide probed as sister says she ‘did not go willingly’
Maryland sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin
11:00 , Andrea Cavallier
A sheriff in Maryland has vowed that the “heinous coward” who authorities believe killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin will be brought to justice - though investigators still have yet to identify a suspect.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler did not share many details in the Wednesday update over concern of “jeopardising the ongoing probe,” but said there was one thing he was sure of, and that “this was an intentional taking of a person’s life.”
Morin, 37, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air at around 6pm on 5 August, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
After she failed to return home that night, her boyfriend Richard Tobin reported her missing.
Morin’s body was later found near the trail, and her death was labelled a homicide.
“Together we will solve this crime and find the heinous coward who took Rachel Morin from her family and friends,” Mr Gahler said on Wednesday.
He added that a team of detectives have been working around the clock to piece together a timeline of the case and that some of the “more than 100 tips” that have been submitted by the public “have been promising.”
Man who described grisly state of Rachel Morin’s body never actually saw it, sheriff says
12:30 , Andrea Blanco
The Maryland man who claimed he saw the body of 37-year-old Rachel Morin was not even “within eyesight of the crime scene” when she was found, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office told The Independent.
Michael Gabriszeski, 49, claimed to multiple news outlets that he and his stepdaughter came across Morin’s body on Sunday when they joined the search for the missing mother-of-five, who had vanished on Saturday after going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland.
But a spokesperson for the Harford County’s Sheriff’s Office confirmed to The Independent on Thursday that Mr Gabriszeski “did not find Rachel’s body” and that he did not “view her body.”
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