The Harford County Sheriff's Office believes that they have identified a DNA match to the person who killed Maryland mom Rachel Morin earlier this month. However, they have not yet identified the killer. Morin's body was found naked and severely beaten after she went missing during a run on a trail near her home.
Authorities said that a DNA sample, which was examined by Maryland State Police, matched with DNA found at the location of a home invasion and attack on a young girl in Los Angeles in March, Col. William Davis from the Harford County Sheriff's Office told the media during a press conference held on Thursday.
Big Breakthrough
Following the revelation, Morin's boyfriend, Richard Tobin expressed relief saying that he is confident that the police will soon be able to track the killer. Morin, 37, set out on a hike on August 5 and parked her vehicle at the Williams Street trailhead located in the heart of Bel Air, around 20 miles northeast of Baltimore.
Later that evening, Tobin, her 27-year-old boyfriend, contacted the police after she did not return. Tobin reported that he had located her car at the designated trailhead where she had initially left it.
The next day, Morin's lifeless body was found naked and showing signs of physical trauma within a tunnel on the picturesque Ma & Pa Heritage Trail.
On Thursday, the Harford County Sheriff's Office released video footage of a Hispanic man who they believe murdered Morin. The video shows the man leaving a home in Los Angeles, located 3,000 miles away, where he had unlawfully entered and assaulted a young girl.
He was connected to Morin's murder by DNA.
According to The Baltimore Banner, Tobin gave investigators a DNA sample and his cell phone. He also said: "I hope they found this scum of the earth, justice for Rachel. Rip, love you Rach."
"Unfortunately that suspect has not been identified, but he did leave behind his DNA," Davis said.
"Based on the DNA evidence, we consider the individual in the video we obtained from the Los Angeles Police Department ... to be the person that murdered Rachel Morin."
According to Davis, investigators believe the suspect acted alone and did not know Morin at this point in the investigation.
The murder seems to be "a random act of violence," he claimed.
Police, according to Davis, "don't have any clue" where the alleged murderer might be.
Tracking the Killer
Morin and Tobin made their new relationship public on Facebook in a post just four days before she was slain. According to court records, Morin, who ran a home cleaning business, had a documented history of legal disputes with her romantic partners. This history prompted online discussions and speculation about the identity of her killer.
Amid these speculations, Tobin, who has a lengthy criminal history, came under fire when several social media users expressed their suspicion about him. To clear his name, he said on Facebook that he loved Morin and "would never do anything to her."
"I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve. Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please," he wrote.
Tobin's criminal history reveals a staggering 14 arrests that have taken place since 2014, involving a range of charges such as drug distribution, assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
His extensive record encompasses two instances of being arrested for criminal second-degree assault, violating restraining orders, drug possession, and causing intentional damage to property.
Tobin's criminal record also includes multiple traffic-related violations, an offense related to evading law enforcement, resisting arrest, and instances of disorderly behavior due to intoxication. This information is detailed in official documents.
However, authorities are now trying to track the unidentified Hispanic man, believed to be aged between 20 and 30 years, regarding his potential involvement in Morin's murder.
He is described as being approximately 5 feet 9 inches in height, weighing around 160 pounds, and having a muscular physique.
"We believe this was a person that Rachel didn't know, potentially a random act of violence," Davis said.
Morin had her kids, ranging from 8 to 18 years old, with three different fathers.
