Rachel Morin - update: Police seek potential witnesses as family plan remembrance walk on Bel Air trail
Rachel Morin’s mother has broken her silence as the mother-of-five’s killer remains at large.
Morin, 37, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air at around 6pm Saturday. Her boyfriend Richard Tobin reported her missing that night after she failed to return home and her body was found the following day.
Her death is being investigated as a homicide.
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.
Morin’s family has invited members of the community to meet on 19 August at the William Street entrance of the Ma and Pa trail. Attendees will walk 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,” Morin’s sister Rebekah Morin wrote on Facebook. “If you are able to, we ask that you bring flowers ... as we walk Rachel’s last steps.”
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
Investigators receive over 100 tips from public after appealing for help
Rebekah Morin shares heartbreaking poem in memory of slain sister
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.”
Who was Rachel Morin?
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,”
‘Trail of flowers and light’ planned to honour Rachel Morin’s life
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.”
Maryland police set up tip email in Rachel Morin’s homicide investigation
02:00 , Andrea Blanco
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.
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.
WATCH: Rachel Morin's boyfriend speaks out about her death
Sunday 13 August 2023 17:00 , Andrea Blanco
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
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.
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.”
WATCH: Harford County sheriff provides update on Rachel Morin case
Sunday 13 August 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco
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
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 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Maryland sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin
Saturday 12 August 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco
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.”
The Independent’s Andrea Cavallier reports:
Sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed Rachel Morin
‘Trail of flowers and light’ planned to honour Rachel Morin’s life
Saturday 12 August 2023 00:00 , 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.”
Maryland police reveal ‘potential witnesses’ on hiking trail where Rachel Morin was killed
Friday 11 August 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco
The group of people who had dogs with them on the trail Saturday evening may have seen something, Harford County officials said as they urged them to come forward.
Morin was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail around 6pm on 5 August. Her boyfriend Richard Tobin reported her missing that night after she failed to return home. The mother-of-five’s body was found the next day, and her death is being investigated as a homicide.
Read more:
Police reveal ‘potential witnesses’ on hiking trail where Rachel Morin was killed
Rachel Morin’s boyfriend has been interviewed, sheriff says
Friday 11 August 2023 21:04 , Andrea Cavallier
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler addressed questions about whether Morin’s boyfriend Richard Tobin had been interviewed.
“The answer is yes, we have,” the sheriff said, “Along with many other people who are close to Rachel.”
“That is the way an investigation is conducted,” he added.
Mr Tobin released a statement on Facebook earlier this week saying he had nothing to do with Morin’s death.
Investigators in the Harford County Sheriff’s Office do not have an official suspect yet in the case.
“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.
Rachel Morin’s boyfriend agreed to give DNA to police, source claims
Friday 11 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.
Where is The Ma and Pa Trail?
Friday 11 August 2023 19:00 , 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.
WATCH: Rachel Morin's boyfriend speaks out about her death
Friday 11 August 2023 18:00 , Andrea Blanco
Rachel Morin’s family faced tragedy just days before the mother-of-five was killed
Friday 11 August 2023 17:00 , 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.
Maryland police say man who claimed he saw Morin’s body was lying
Friday 11 August 2023 16:00 , 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.
GoFundMe tops $42,000
Friday 11 August 2023 15:00 , 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.
Rachel Morin’s mother appeals for compassion in first public comments since daughter’s killing
Friday 11 August 2023 14:00 , Andrea Cavallier
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.
“We are grieving. We need the time and space to grieve as a family. We have not forgotten our community,” the post read.
“We just need time. . . I need time. It has only been 4 days since we received the horrific news. I ask that as mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, that you would please have compassion on us and allow us this.”
The heartfelt letter, which was shared on Thursday in a post on the Facebook page of Rachel Morin’s sister Rebekah, thanked the community for its support and announced that a Celebration of Life service and a 5K run would be held in Morin’s honour thanks to the money raised.
Andrea Cavallier reports.
Rachel Morin’s mother appeals for compassion after daughter’s killing
Michael Gabriszeski says he saw Rachel Morin’s body, but the sheriff denies this claim
Friday 11 August 2023 13:00 , Andrea Cavallier
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.”
Maryland police urge group of witnesses with dogs to come forward
Friday 11 August 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp
On Thursday, Harford County Sheriff’s Office said investigators had been made aware of potential witnesses who may have seen Rachel 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.
“Detectives have been made aware of potential witnesses that may have observed Rachel Morin on the trail. These individuals were walking on the Ma and PA trail from the Rt. 24 tunnel toward the split in the trail that leads to the Williams Street trailhead between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm. These witnesses were described as either being 3 men, 2 women and 2 dogs OR 2 men, 3 women and 2 dogs. If this is you, please reach out to Sgt. Maddox at maddoxc@harfordsheriff.org. Thank you!” read the post.
Timeline in Rachel Morin case
Friday 11 August 2023 12:00 , 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.
Rachel Morin’s mother asks for compassion following daughter’s killing
Friday 11 August 2023 22:29 , 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.
“We are grieving. We need the time and space to grieve as a family. We have not forgotten our community,” the post read.
“We just need time. . . I need time. It has only been 4 days since we received the horrific news. I ask that as mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, that you would please have compassion on us and allow us this.”
The heartfelt letter, which was shared on Thursday in a post on the Facebook page of Rachel Morin’s sister Rebekah, thanked the community for its support and announced that a Celebration of Life service and a 5K run would be held in Morin’s honour thanks to the money raised.
The Independent’s Andrea Cavallier reports:
Rachel Morin’s mother appeals for compassion after daughter’s killing
Police have yet to identify a ‘solid suspect’ in Rachel Morin homicide case
Friday 11 August 2023 11:00 , Andrea Cavallier
There is no solid suspect yet in the homicide case of Rachel Morin, the mother of five who was found dead on sunday.
“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,” Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.
Read more:
Sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed Rachel Morin
Sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed Rachel Morin
Friday 11 August 2023 09:00 , Andrea Cavallier
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.
Andrea Cavallier reports.
Sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed Rachel Morin
What is The Ma and Pa Trail?
Friday 11 August 2023 07:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Rachel Morin was reported missing on Saturday night, and after law enforcement appealed for information to find the mother of five, a body was found on The Ma and Pa Trail on Sunday afternoon.
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.
Rachel Morin's mother breaks silence after shocking homicide
Friday 11 August 2023 05:00 , Andrea Cavallier
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 near a hike trial on Sunday,
“We are grieving. We need the time and space to grieve as a family. We have not forgotten our community,” the post read.
“We just need time. . . I need time. It has only been 4 days since we received the horrific news. I ask that as mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, that you would please have compassion on us and allow us this.”
The heartfelt letter, which was shared Thursday in a post on the Facebook page of Rachel Morin’s sister Rebekah, thanked the community for its support and announced that a Celebration of Life service and a 5K run would be held in Morin’s honor thanks to the money raised.
Sheriff denies man’s claim that he saw Rachel Morin’s body
Friday 11 August 2023 03:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Michael Gabriszeski, 49, claimed to multiple news outlets that he and his stepdaughter came across Rachel Morin’s body on Sunday.
However, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office told The Independent that Mr Gabriszeski was not even “within eyesight of the crime scene” when her body was found.
Mr Gabriszeski “did not find Rachel’s body” and that he did not “view her body” and he has “no first-hand knowledge of the crime scene,” the sheriff’s office added.
Mr Gabriszeski gave graphic accounts of what he claimed he saw to both the Daily Mail and WBFF, telling the latter that he “saw a terrible mess”.
Read more:
Sheriff denies man’s claim that he saw Rachel Morin’s body
Sheriff says Rachel Morin’s boyfriend has been interviewed
Friday 11 August 2023 01:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler addressed questions about whether Morin’s boyfriend Richard Tobin had been interviewed.
“The answer is yes, we have,” the sheriff said, “Along with many other people who are close to Rachel.”
“That is the way an investigation is conducted,” he added.
Mr Tobin released a statement on Facebook earlier this week saying he had nothing to do with Morin’s death.
Investigators in the Harford County Sheriff’s Office do not have an official suspect yet in the case.
“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.
Investigators do not have a suspect in Rachel Morin case
Friday 11 August 2023 00:00 , Andrea Cavallier
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.
