Family of murdered Maryland mother Rachel Morin launches ads, pleas for help to catch killer who police warn ‘will strike again’ amid fears he has fled across the border
Rachel Morin’s family have released a video asking the public to join the hunt for the mother-of-five’s killer amid renewed fears he may have slipped over the southern border.
Morin’s mother, Patty, made a tearful appeal to viewers in the 30-second clip as she remembers the child she lost.
‘Rachel Morin was my daughter. She was the mother of five children. She’s a sister, Patty said. ‘Someone just grabbed her and killed her. If he’s willing to kill a perfect stranger, he’s willing to kill anyone.’
Morin, 37, disappeared while jogging on the Ma and Pa Trail in the town of Bel Air, Maryland, last August. Her naked, battered body was discovered the next day in a tunnel along the route, about 45 miles north of Baltimore.
The new commercial includes a desperate plea for information about the suspect and includes a finished sketch that was released to the public earlier this year.
Rachel Morin’s family have issued a desperate plea for information amid the hunt for the 37-year-old’s killer
Her mother, Patty, claimed the killer would be ‘willing to kill anyone’
Morin’s suspected killer was eventually traced to Los Angeles, where he broke into a home and attacked a young girl. DNA evidence linked the crime scenes
“If you know this person, turn him in. Let’s do this. Let’s catch this guy and bring peace to Rachel Morin’s family,” said attorney Randolph Rice.
In February, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release that authorities had completed a sketch of the suspect.
“Over the past six months, detectives have conducted more than 100 interviews and followed up on more than 1,000 tips,” read the release, which added that ten law enforcement agencies assisted in the manhunt in seven states.
“Thousands of bilingual flyers have been distributed in Maryland and California,” the statement continued. ‘This investigation has not slowed down or stalled.’
Captain Andy Lane urged people to come forward with information.
“Remember Rachel, remember the area she was in … if anybody remembers anything moving forward … those little details could be the details that break the case open,” Lane said.
The sketch came nearly a year after police released home surveillance footage of the suspect leaving a Los Angeles home after breaking in and attacking a young girl.
Maryland officials said DNA collected from the scene where Morin’s body was found was linked to evidence from the assault and home invasion.
Flyers released by HCSO describe the suspect as a Hispanic male with a ‘muscular build’ and ‘dark hair’ and note that he is ‘believed to have ties to the Los Angeles area and may have been involved in violent crimes in other states. ‘
The mother of five was killed while jogging on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, about 45 miles outside of Baltimore, in August 2023
The family’s attorney, Randolph Rice, said the ad is being run in cities along the southern border out of fear the suspect fled the country
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office released a completed suspect sketch in February. In a statement, the office promised that the investigation had not been ‘slowed down or stalled’
Morin’s body was discovered in a drainage tunnel along the route, a day after she disappeared. She was naked and badly beaten
A witness who claims to have seen Morin’s body said she was lying on her back, completely naked, with ‘brutal head trauma.’ The witness described a ’15 to 20 foot trail of blood’ and claimed she appeared to have been hit in the head with a rock
The heartbroken mother and family lawyer also appeared on NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas reports to raise awareness of Morin’s case.
Rice revealed that the ad ran in Maryland, Los Angeles and cities along the southern border.
“We know he’s a Hispanic male, we know he has a propensity to travel from California to Maryland, which would make logical sense that he might be willing to travel out of the country,” the attorney explained.
‘And so we run the ads along those border towns through Instagram and Facebook in the hope that someone might have seen him, either if he came across or if he went back.’
Morin’s case has attracted renewed attention in the wake of Laken Riley’s death, with members of the public pointing to similarities in the way the women were killed.
Both Morin and Riley, 22, were murdered while jogging on popular pedestrian paths.
The authorities have charged Jose Ibarra with, among other things, malicious murder and kidnapping in the second degree in connection with the death of the nursing student.
Ibarra allegedly disfigured Riley’s skull before dragging her to a wooded area to hide evidence of the crime. Her remains were found behind a lake on the University of Georgia campus.
Despite the similarities, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said the two cases do not appear to be connected.
Flyers describe the suspect as a Hispanic male with a ‘muscular build’ who is ‘believed to have ties to the Los Angeles area and may have been involved in violent crimes in other states’
Michael Gabriszeski had joined a search party when he claims to have come across Morin’s remains, which were bloodied and disfigured
The mother-of-five’s boyfriend, 27-year-old Richard Tobin, was the first to report her missing. He initially drew suspicion because of his extensive criminal past, including arrests for assault
Witnesses who saw the crime scene told DailyMail.com that Morin had suffered horrific injuries.
Michael Gabriszeski was combing through the woods with a search party when he claimed to have come across her remains on August 6, 2023.
He and two others had decided to check drainage tunnels on the trail after noticing ‘disturbances’ on the ground. Inside, they found Morin lying in a pool of blood.
“She was lying on her back, completely naked, and she had brutal head trauma … it looked like her head had been smashed in with a rock,” Gabriszeski said.
‘There was a 15 to 20 foot trail of blood. So it looked like she had been punched and dragged into that position…The right side of her face was gone.’
A separate source close to the family told DailyMail.com that the young mother had suffered such extensive head trauma that they could not hold an open funeral.
Morin’s boyfriend, 27-year-old Richard Tobin, was the first to report her missing. He initially drew suspicion because of his long criminal history, including 14 arrests since 2014 on charges including assault and disorderly conduct.
Amid the swirling rumours, Tobin took to social media to plead her case.
‘I love Rachel. I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve,’ he wrote. ‘Yes, I have a past, but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please.’
In February, the reward for information leading to the arrest of Morin’s killer increased to $35,000 after a true crime podcast donated $5,000.
“We are deeply grateful to the Mile Higher Podcast for their generous contribution to the Rachel Morin Reward Fund,” Randolph Rice said in a statement.
“This increase in funding represents the community’s solidarity in their relentless pursuit of justice for Rachel Morin. It sends a clear message that we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find answers and bring the man responsible to justice.’