New Details, Suspect Sketch Released In Rachel Morin Homicide: Harford Sheriff

BEL AIR, MD — A sketch has been released of the suspect sought in the Rachel Morin homicide case, along with details never before released by the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

The new information includes what happened during the assault in Los Angeles that links it to Morin's death, where Morin was killed along the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air and how long the suspect likely was in the Bel Air area before her death.

It's been more than six months since the 37-year-old mother of five was found dead Aug. 5, 2023. Investigators believe the suspect was in the Bel Air area days before Morin was killed. Her boyfriend, Richard Tobin, reported her missing when she didn't return from her walk on the trail the night before.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler previously said he believes the man who took Morin's life is a serial killer. According to investigators, the suspect is a Hispanic man in his early to mid-20s and estimated to be 5’9" and weighing around 160 pounds.

On Monday, the Harford County Sheriff's Office shared in a podcast that the investigation has led them to seven different states with 10 federal, state and local agencies assisting. Thousands of bilingual flyers have been distributed in Maryland and California, where a DNA analysis of Morin's crime scene matched DNA found at a home invasion and assault of a young girl in Los Angeles.

Doorbell camera video provided by the Los Angeles Police Department captured a brief clip of that man leaving the scene of the reported home invasion and assault in California. Investigators have conducted more than 100 interviews and followed up on more than 1,000 tips.

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The sheriff's office also has created a special edition of its "Into the Sheriff's Spotlight" podcast that provides more details and updates on the case. In this podcast, Gahler, Captain Andy Lane and Major Jack Simpson discuss Morin's death, including:

1. Where was Morin attacked along the trail? Morin was attacked at a bend in the Ma and Pa Trail, then pulled into a drainage culvert located in a dense area north of the spot where the trail crosses under Route 24. In the summer, the culverts cannot be seen, the officials said. "The location of the attack was chosen" because of the proximity of the culverts to the trail. The men also said during the podcast they believe Morin could have been stalked; however, witnesses reported seeing an individual standing in the woodline around the time of Morin's attack, so the attack could have been a crime of opportunity.

2. What DNA was recovered in Los Angeles? DNA left at the crime scene in Los Angeles was found on a hat the suspect wore. When DNA from Morin's crime scene was entered into a federal database, it matched the DNA recovered from that L.A. crime scene, the Harford County officials said.

3. Why was the suspect in Maryland? Officials still do not know why the suspect was in Maryland. He could live in the area and traveled to California during the March assault or lives in California and traveled to Maryland, at which time he attacked Morin August, officials said. "We don't know where he was in-between," the officials said in the podcast.

4. What happened in California and whose arm can be scene in the video? The men described the attack in California as a "violent attack, a random attack. Multiple people in the home were injured." According to L.A. officials, the suspect entered the home and "violently and physically attacked multiple people, including a child, who were hurt during that incident. This case shows how dangerous this individual is and how important it is to locate him for the public's safety."

The suspect assaulted two family members who couldn't defend themselves. A third family member, a minor, entered the room and surprised the suspect. The minor forced the suspect out of the home as the minor didn't understand why the suspect was attacking family members, officials said during the podcast. As the suspect fled the home, realizing other family members were waking up, the minor slammed the door shut, locked it and called police, the officials explained during the podcast.

4. Is the suspect Hispanic? DNA and genetic material, along with other evidence, led police to determine the suspect is Hispanic, they said during the podcast. "We don't know" if the suspect is in the country illegally. "He could be in the U.S. legally," the men said during the podcast. Both angles are being investigated, they said.

5. Why now do you have a sketch? Multiple victims of the California assault helped officials compose the sketch, along with witnesses of the possible suspect in Bel Air, the officials said during the podcast.

"We believe we have a sketch now that's the closest rendition of what we can have in this case," the officials said. "We do have witnesses in Harford County. Rachel ran the trail daily and a lot of those people told us when they last saw Rachel. Others saw the video (doorbell camera video) and believed they saw someone on the trail weeks before her death that looks similar to the suspect," the officials said during the podcast. There are two sketches with one showing the suspect wearing a hat as something he has worn in the past and the other shows facial features of the suspect.

"We believe he's going to do this again," Gahler said during the podcost. "If you have a tip, no matter how small, contact us."

Anyone with information about Morin's killing is asked to call the Harford County Sheriff's Office at 410-836-7788 or email a tip to investigators at rmtips@harfordsheriff.org.

A $35,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction is still being offered. To learn more about contributing to the Rachel Morin Reward Fund, individuals can visit the law firm's dedicated website at https://ricelawmd.com/reward.

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