The sheriff investigating the brutal murder of Rachel Morin believes the suspect – who is involved in a home invasion and rape of a girl in Los Angeles in March – could be a serial killer.
Morin, 37, went for a walk on Aug. 5 and left her car at the Williams Street Trailhead in downtown Bel Air, Maryland, about 20 miles northeast of Baltimore.
Her body was discovered the day after she disappeared naked and beaten into a tunnel along the scenic Ma & Pa Heritage Trail.
After DNA at a Los Angeles crime scene matched that at the Morin murder scene, Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said Monday a disturbing pattern may be emerging.
Serial killers all start somewhere. What he did in Los Angeles, I think, was definitely in that direction,” Gahler said. “I believe his intention was to inflict more serious bodily harm.”
The sheriff investigating the brutal murder of Rachel Morin (pictured believes the suspect – who is involved in a home invasion and rape of a girl in Los Angeles in March – could be a serial killer
You can see the man walking away from the Los Angeles home. His DNA was linked to the LA home invasion and Morin’s body
A manhunt is currently underway for the unknown suspect who committed the West Coast grizzly murder and rape earlier this year.
Gahler said he and some of his Harford County agents visited Los Angeles last week to investigate, but it’s too early to say exactly what they’re dealing with.
“We don’t know who he is yet,” the sheriff added. “He may still have his head here in our county, or he may have fled to anywhere in the country or even the world.”
The unknown suspect in the case is described as a Hispanic man, between 20 and 30 years old. He is about six feet tall, weighs about 160 pounds, and is muscular.
“We think this was a person Rachel didn’t know, possibly a random act of violence,” Colonel William Davis said at a news conference last week.
“We don’t know anything more about him than he was in LA in March and we think he’s the killer.”
Davis said they are not looking for accomplices and told locals to be wary.
“We believe that the suspect acted alone and that he does not represent the entire Hispanic community of Harford County, with whom we are now working to identify this suspect,” he said.
After DNA at a Los Angeles crime scene matched that at the Morin murder scene, Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler (pictured) said Monday a disturbing pattern may be emerging.
Gahler said he and some of his Harford County deputies visited Los Angeles last week to investigate, but it’s too early to say exactly what they’re up against.
Morin in a photo shared by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office in August shortly before she was found murdered
Ten officers are working to resolve the case and have received more than 100 tips, but he urged people to send in more, even though the information seemed insignificant.
“I know I can speak for the sheriff when I say we’re very proud of this community.”
Gahler said 10 officers are working to solve the case, and they have received more than 100 tips, but he urged people to send in more, even if the information seemed insignificant.
A few days ago, Morin’s friend shared his relief after police identified another suspect in her murder. Richard Tobin, 27, was the one who reported Morin missing after she went for a walk and didn’t return home. He also found her car at the trailhead.
Tobin had given investigators a DNA sample and handed over his cell phone, saying, “I hope they found this scum of the earth, justice for Rachel.” Rip, I love you, Rach.”
She had only recently publicly disclosed her relationship with Tobin on Facebook and it was unclear how long they had been together.
Gahler has made it clear in the weeks since her death that they do not believe Tobin is a suspect in the murder of the mother of five.
“At this point there is no indication that he was involved. But until we know who this man is and whether he acted alone, the whole world is a suspect,” Gahler said.
Tobin has maintained his innocence in the case since her disappearance.
In a Facebook post, he wrote, “I love Rachel. I would never hurt her, let the family and I grieve. Yes, I have a past, but I’ve also been clean for fifteen months and have changed as a person.’
Tobin has been arrested 14 times since 2014 on various charges, including drug trafficking, assault, disorderly conduct and refusal of arrest.
Morin had recently announced on Facebook that she was dating Richard Tobin
This is the path where Morin’s body was found on August 6
It is believed that Morin’s body was found in one of the trail’s drainage tunnels
Police have not yet released a cause of death for the woman.
A source close to the family told the DailyMail.com in mid-August that the young mother had suffered severe head trauma.
“The injuries were so horrific that there won’t be an open coffin (at her funeral),” the source said.
A spokeswoman for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the nature of how Morin was killed.
Her family says she didn’t “go voluntarily” and that her death was “not accidental.”