Woman’s body found off of popular trail believed to be missing Maryland woman
Authorities in Maryland have confirmed that the body found along a hiking trail in Bel Air is that of missing mother-of-five Rachel Morin.
Morin, 37, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail at around 6pm on Saturday evening, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
After she failed to return home that night, her boyfriend, Richard Tobin, reported her missing.
On Sunday morning, Morin’s vehicle was found in the parking lot at the entrance to the popular walking route. Hours later, a member of the public discovered a woman’s body close to the trail.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler announced that Morin’s case is now a homicide investigation, in a press conference on Sunday night.
Rebekah Morin, the sister of Morin, started a GoFundMe to pay for funeral expenses. As of Tuesday, it has raised over $35K.
The sheriff said that police currently have no suspects on their radar and, as a result, are unable to tell the public that there is no ongoing danger.
Key points
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Timeline in Rachel Morin case
6pm – Rachel Morin is last seen heading out to run on the Ma & Pa Trail in northern Maryland.
11.23pm – The boyfriend of Rachel reports her missing after she does not return home.
Police begin searching for Rachel on the trail and surrounding areas.
1pm – Body of female victim located off of the Ma & Pa Trail is reported to police.
Police confirm the body found on the rail is Rachel Morin.
Ariana Baio9 August 2023 07:00
What is The Ma and Pa Trail?
Rachel Morin was reported missing on Saturday night, and after law enforcement appealed for information to find the mother of five, a body was found on The Ma and Pa Trail on Sunday afternoon.
The 6.25 mile (10km) trail gets it name from the former Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad corridor that ran through the town of Bel Air in Harford County.
The track was dismantled in the 1950s, and later turned into a heritage trail along the railroad’s former route.
It consists of a 3.3mile section through Bel Air and a 1.7mile segment in neighbouring Forest Hill.
According to Alltrails.com, the trail is moderately challenging and takes around 2 hours and 25 minutes to complete.
In the wake of Ms Morin’s death, authorities have warned hikers to take particular care and be aware of their surroundings.
Ariana Baio9 August 2023 03:00
Watch: Maryland mom of five Rachel Morin was killed just a week after her baby niece died
Maryland mom of five Rachel Morin was killed just a week after her baby niece died
Ariana Baio9 August 2023 01:00
Community walk being held for Rachel Morin
Members of the Harford County community are being invited to take part in a memorial walk for Rachel Morin, the 37-year-old mother of five who was found dead on the side of a trail.
Harford County council member Jessica Boyle Tsottles posted on Facebook inviting people to walk the Ma & Pa Trail where Morin was last seen and eventually found.
“In order to unite as a community and empower the women of Harford County. Join us as we walk the Ma & Pa trail together.”
The walk is set to take place at 6.30pm
Ariana Baio9 August 2023 00:00
Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular Maryland hiking trail. Her sister says she ‘did not go willingly’
Rachel Morin left her home in Bel Air, Maryland, at around 6pm on Saturday 5 August, and headed to a popular hiking trail just outside of town.
When the mother-of-five failed to return that night, her new boyfriend Richard Tobin called police at about 11pm to report her missing, according to Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler.
The next morning, the 37-year-old’s car was located at the Williams St entrance to the Ma and Pa Trail.
At 1.07pm on Sunday, a member of the public called 911 to report finding a woman’s body near the trail.
Sheriff Gahler said at a press conference on Sunday night that a homicide investigation was underway as they awaited formal identification and cause of death from the medical examiner’s office.
Ariana Baio8 August 2023 23:00
ICYMI: Harford County police rule out connection to other missing woman
Officials in Harford County have ruled out any connection between the disappearance and suspected homicide of Rachel Morin and a second woman who went missing in the area the same day.
Karen Elliott, 58, was last seen at her home in Bel Air at around 2.20pm on Saturday afternoon.
Harford County Sheriff’s Office said she was wearing a green shirt and blue jeans and was seen heading into the wooded area behind Cypress Drive.
A search for the missing woman has so far not yielded any information as to her whereabouts.
In Sunday night’s press conference, the sheriff insisted that there is no connection between her disappearance and Morin’s case.
“We believe there is no danger to the community in the case of Karen Elliott,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
On Monday, police announced that Ms Elliott was located “alive and unharmed” and that “no foul play is suspected in her disappearance.”
Ariana Baio8 August 2023 22:00
Watch: Authorities search around Ma & Pa trail before identifying Rachel Morin
Ariana Baio8 August 2023 21:00
Rachel Morin’s car was found outside of trail
After Rachel Morin failed to return home from her job on Saturday, her boyfriend Richard Tobin called the police at about to report her missing.
The next morning, the 37-year-old’s car was located at the Williams St entrance to the Ma and Pa Trail.
Authorities recovered the vehicle on Sunday morning, and it is being processed for evidence, the sheriff’s department said.
Ariana Baio8 August 2023 20:30
Who was Rachel Morin?
Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old woman from Maryland, was found deceased near the side of a trail in Bel Air on Sunday.
Law enforcement in the Harford Police Department said Morin’s death was a homicide with foul play suspected.
According to reports, Morin was a fitness enthusiast who was going on a run at the Ma & Pa Trail at the time of her disappearance.
A friend of Morin’s, Becca Dill, described her as “a fighter” who found strength in her faith.
Ms Dill told The Baltimore Banner on “days [Morin] felt defeated or abandoned by the world” she would read scripture.
Morin’s best friend, Claudia Brown, wrote in a Facebook post that, “Rachel was so unabashedly herself: witty and genuine, brilliant, daring, and headstrong. Her spirit would light up the room and her smile was contagious.”
She added that her “faith was strong.”
Rachel Morin, 37, was a ‘fierce protector of her children and loved them with all of her heart’, a close friend wrote in a social media tribute
(Harford County Sheriff’s Office)
Ms Brown wrote that Ms Morin had been divorced, and was a “fierce protector of her children and loved them with all of her heart”.
Ms Morin had worked as a model and appeared on the cover of Owl Magazine, Harford Community College’s student publication, where her brother John Morin worked as a technical director.
She also started her own cleaning business, East Coast Cleaners, in 2019, according to Open Corporates.
Ariana Baio8 August 2023 20:07