HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND: Authorities in Maryland have uncovered video footage and DNA evidence linked to the murder of Rachel Morin, a mother of five whose body was discovered naked and brutally beaten after she disappeared while on a trail run near her home on August 5.
Maryland State Police analyzed a DNA sample, which was found to match DNA collected from a home invasion and assault case involving a young girl in Los Angeles back in March.
Has Rachel Morin's killer been found?
Although the suspect responsible for the Los Angeles case is yet to be identified, his DNA was left behind, prompting authorities to consider him as the perpetrator of Rachel Morin's murder. Despite the DNA linking "him to two crimes", the identity of the alleged killer remains elusive.
The released video showcases a shirtless suspect, described as a Hispanic man around 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds. The footage captures him closing the front door and descending the steps of a Los Angeles residence he is suspected of robbing.
Authorities assert that at this stage of the investigation there is no evidence connecting the suspect to Morin, suggesting that the murder may have been "a random act of violence."
Despite the progress made, police “don’t have any clue” about the whereabouts of the suspected killer. Morin, aged 37, went missing on August 5 after her run on a popular trail near her residence in Bel Air. Her body was discovered the following day in a park, prompting an immediate classification of her death as a homicide.
In a significant twist, just four days before her tragic demise, Morin and Richard Tobin, 27, revealed their new relationship on social media. Tobin, who has a history of legal troubles, has asserted his innocence since Morin's disappearance.
“I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve. Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please,” he wrote. Police confirmed Tobin was the first person to report Morin missing, and he has not been labeled as a person of interest in the case.
As the investigation continues, a portrait of Morin emerges as a dedicated mother, friend, and fitness enthusiast. “She loved her kids, she was a hard worker,” Matthew McMahon, the father of Morin’s oldest, told New York Post. “She was a hardworking single mom that was really into fitness.” The tragedy of her untimely death and the quest for justice remain central to the ongoing efforts of law enforcement officials.
Anyone who can identify the suspect is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (410) 436-7788 or through email at RMtips@HarfordSheriff.org.
