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8 months ago
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Rachel Morin's family has released a video begging the public to join in the search for the mother of five's killer amid renewed fears that 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 recalled the child she'd lost.
'Rachel Morin was my daughter. She was a mother to five children. She's a sister,' Patty said. 'Somebody just grabbed her and killed her. If he's willing to kill a perfect stranger he's willing to kill anybody.'
Morin, 37, went missing 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, some 45 miles north of Baltimore.
The new commercial includes a desperate plea for information about the suspect and includes a finalized sketch that was released to the public earlier this year.
Rachel Morin's family has released a desperate plea for information amid the hunt for the 37-year-old's killer
Her mother, Patty, asserted the murderer would be 'willing to kill anybody'
Morin's suspected killer was last traced to Los Angeles, where he broke into a home and attacked a young girl. DNA evidence linked the crime scenes together
'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 authorities had finalized a sketch of the suspect in a news release.
'Over the last six months detectives have conducted more than 100 interviews and followed up on more than 1,000 tips,' the release read, adding that ten law enforcement agencies were assisting with the hunt across seven states.
'Thousands of bi-lingual flyers have been distributed in Maryland and California,' the statement continued. 'This investigation has not slowed or stalled.'
Capt. Andy Lane encouraged people to come forward with information.
'Remember Rachel, remember the area she was in…if anyone remembers anything moving forward…those small details can 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 home in Los Angeles 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 the HCSO describe the suspect as a Hispanic man with a 'muscular build' and 'dark hair,' noting 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 out jogging on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, around 45 miles outside Baltimore, in August 2023
The family's attorney, Randolph Rice, said the ad is being run in towns along the southern border out of fear the suspect fled the country
The Harford County Sheriff's Office released a finalized suspect sketch in February. In a statement, the office vowed that the investigation had not 'slowed or stalled'
Morin's body was discovered in a drainage tunnel along the route, a day after she went missing. She was naked and badly beaten
One witness who claims to have viewed Morin's body said she was lying on her back, fully naked, with 'brutal head trauma.' The witness described a '15- to 20-foot blood trail' and claimed she appeared to have been beaten in the head with a rock
The heartbroken mother and family attorney also appeared on NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas Reports to raise awareness about Morin's case.
Rice revealed that the ad was being released in Maryland, Los Angeles and towns along the southern border.
'We know he's an Hispanic male, we know he has the propensity to travel from California to Maryland, which would make logical sense that he may be willing to travel out of the country,' the attorney explained.
'And therefore we're running the ads along those border towns through Instagram and Facebook with the hope that somebody might have seen him either if he came across or if he went back.'
Morin's case has drawn 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 trails.
Authorities have charged Jose Ibarra with second-degree malice murder and kidnapping, among other counts, in connection to the nursing student's death.
Ibarra allegedly disfigured Riley's skull before dragging her to a wooded area to hide evidence of the crime. Her remains were found in behind a lake on the University of Georgia campus.
Despite the similarities, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said the two cases don't appear to be linked.
Flyers describe the suspect as a Hispanic man 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 stumbled upon Morin's remains, which were bloody and disfigured
The mom of five's boyfriend, 27-year-old Richard Tobin, was the first to report her missing. He initially drew suspicion due to his extensive criminal past, including arrests for assault
Witnesses who saw the crime scene told DailyMail.com that Morin had sustained horrific injuries.
Michael Gabriszeski was combing through the woods with a search party when he claimed to have stumbled upon 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 laying on her back, fully 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 blood trail. So, it looked like she had been beaten and dragged into that position....The right side of her face was gone.'
A separate source close to the family told DailyMail.com the young mother had suffered such extensive head trauma that they couldn't hold an open-casket funeral.
Morin's boyfriend, 27-year-old Richard Tobin, was the first to report her missing. He initially drew suspicion due to his lengthy criminal history, including 14 arrests since 2014 on charges including assault and disorderly conduct.
Amid the swirling rumors, Tobin took to social media to plead his 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 profoundly 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 funds represents the solidarity of the community 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.'
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