THE brother of a murdered mother-of-five who was found dead eight months ago on a hiking trail is still holding onto hope that his sister’s killer will be found.
Rachel Morin, 37, was reported missing on the evening of August 5, 2023, after she failed to return home from a run at the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland, about 27 miles north of Baltimore.
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The following afternoon, volunteers combing the wooded area found the body of the mother-of-five near a shrubbery-covered drainage section of the trail.
Deputies with the Hartford County Sheriff’s Office ruled Morin’s death a homicide as her body showed signs of trauma.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said it’s unclear if Morin knew her attacker, if it was a random act, or if the suspect had stalked her.
“It could be as easy as they passed in a grocery store, and he developed a fascination with her. If indeed it was a targeted attack,” Gahler previously told The Baltimore Banner.
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About two weeks after Morin’s body was found, the sheriff’s office made a groundbreaking announcement that DNA evidence was recovered at the crime scene.
Sheriff officials said the DNA matched that of a suspect who was involved in a home invasion and sex assault of a young girl in Los Angeles in March 2023.
Authorities released a roughly 10-second clip showing a shirtless man, described as a Hispanic man, approximately 5’9 and 160 pounds, fleeing the Los Angeles home.
However, the suspect never turns his face to the camera, as the surveillance footage only captures a glimpse of the side of his face and the back of his head.
Sheriff deputies traveled to Los Angeles to interview the residents of the home as well as anyone present at the time of the crime.
Police were able to obtain DNA specimens from a hat and bottle left behind by the suspect.
But, months went by without any significant leads on identifying the suspect.
SKETCH RELEASE
On February 12, the Hartford County Sheriff’s Office released a set of sketches of the man suspected of killing Rachel Morin.
One sketch shows the suspect wearing a red baseball cap, and the other shows his close-cropped hairstyle.
“We believe there are still people who can provide information,” the police agency said.
“While he was here, where did he stay? Who did he speak to? Where did he work?”
Michael Morin, Rachel Morin’s older brother, exclusively told The U.S. Sun he was pleased that deputies waited to release the suspect’s sketches.
“So, if you have that video, someone that knows him [suspect] well is going to recognize his gate, and mannerisms, and everything,” Michael said.
“But if you put a photo out, they [witnesses] can kind of use it as an excuse or denial and say, ‘I don’t know that person,’ and it could push people down the wrong path.
“So, I was actually glad they didn’t put a sketch out for some time until they [police] had a sketch that they believed was pretty accurate, and now I believe that the sketch is accurate.”
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A FLASH OF HOPE
Then, on February 22, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University in Georgia, was reported missing after failing to return home from a jog in Athens.
Within the next hour, authorities found Riley’s body in a wooded area just off the trail near the University of Georgia’s Intramural Fields.
Investigators quickly announced the arrest of Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, charging him with Riley’s murder.
Ibarra, 26, severely beat Riley to death, crushing her skull with an unknown object, then dragged her body to a secluded area to hide the murder, according to an arrest warrant.
The eerie murder, some 700 miles south of Maryland, gave the family of Rachel Morin a flash of hope that perhaps their loved one’s killer was finally arrested.
“It kind of flipped a switch, and I kind of disassociated and went more to the investigative side of it, looking at the suspects and everything,” Michael Morin told The U.S. Sun.
“Initially, I was a little hopeful – you know, maybe this guy gained weight or something by looking at the suspect – but we quickly heard back from the investigators that they were not related.
“But I think it speaks to the fact that there are a lot of correlations, both Hispanic, both a trail. I don’t know if my sister’s was motivation, but I think there is some connection there.
“I believe they’re [the suspects] both influenced by the perhaps the same source of influence since they’re so similar.”
Michael confirmed to The U.S. Sun that Ibarra is not the suspect connected to his sister’s murder.
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‘MY LITTLE SISTER’
Still, Michael said the family is still holding onto hope that authorities will eventually capture his sister’s killer.
“She’s my little sister. I was always kind of protective of her,” Michael told The U.S. Sun.
Michael remembers his sister as a “sweet and kind” woman.
He said his sister battled a speech impediment at a young age but grew to become a confident woman, mother, and successful business owner.
“She started exercising hard just doing other things to take care of herself,” he said.
“She became this confident, outspoken, beautiful woman who loved her kids. [She] hung out with her kids 24/7. They were a huge part of her life.”
Michael Morin recalled hitting rock bottom upon learning about his sister’s murder, “Initially, it hit me really hard, only for maybe about a minute, and then I decided not to think about it.
“I flipped the switch, I just kind of disassociated from it. She’s my little sister, she’s weak, and small, and precious.
“It’s too much to think about. I just did that, and I just drank a lot.”
Michael recalled visiting the Ma & Pa trail to try and uncover any clues that authorities may have missed during their investigation.
“I went there the next day, and then I went there every single day for hours a day, and I slept there a few times actually in a tunnel.
“There was a little bit of water in there and I kind of just laid in the tunnel.
“I don’t know why, but she was there by herself, so I figured I can be there by myself.”
HOPE REMAINS
On April 10, the Morin family and their attorney, Randolph Rice, launched a 30-second commercial asking for the public’s help identifying the suspect.
The Hartford County Sheriff’s Office told The U.S. Sun on April 12 that there are no new updates in the investigation into Rachel Morin’s murder.
The sheriff’s office said investigators have conducted over 100 interviews and followed up on 1,000 tips.
Despite the prolonged investigation, Michael Morin believes his sister’s killer will eventually be brought to justice.
“Right now, I’m sober, and I have peace when I pray,” he told The U.S. Sun.
“I believe that patience is the key. I believe that the detectives are following up on all the leads and a lot of this stuff. It takes time to get back this information.
“But I believe they’re doing a thorough job and these things take time, but I believe it will get done.”
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