Maryland police confirm body found on trail is missing mom-of-five Rachel Morin
The identity of a body found Sunday on a Maryland hiking trail has been confirmed: Rachel Morin, mother of five.
A spokesman for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office said: The Independent The coroner identified the body of the 37-year-old on Monday.
The spokesman could not provide any information on the cause of death, the injuries sustained or the identification of suspects.
Morin was reported missing after failing to return from a hike on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore, on Saturday night.
Her body was found by a citizen along the 6.25m (10km) path just after 1pm on Sunday.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said Sunday night the department had opened a murder investigation and warned the public to be vigilant when hiking in the area.
Morin’s grieving sister Rebekah wrote on a GoFundMe page that her death was not an accident and that she “did not leave voluntarily”.
Morin was reported missing by her boyfriend Richard Tobin around 11pm Saturday night.
He later protested his innocence in her death.
“I love Rachel, I would never harm her if the family and I were grieving,” Mr Tobin wrote.
“Yes, I have a past, but I’m also 15 months clean and I’ve changed as a person. Please.”
Mr Tobin, 27, has not been named as a suspect by law enforcement nor was he in any way implicated in his girlfriend’s death.
Richard Tobin has denied any involvement in the death of his girlfriend Rachel Morin as the murder investigation was launched after a woman’s body was found
(Facebook / Rachel Morin)
Court documents show Mr Tobin was arrested twice for second degree assault and further arrests for breaching restraining orders, malicious destruction of property and drug possession dating back to 2014.
According to the Maryland judiciary’s search files, he was also charged with evading justice, resisting arrest and being drunk.
Mr Tobin and Ms Morin confirmed they were in a relationship in a Facebook post on August 1, five days before she was reported missing.
Sheriff Gahler urged the public Sunday to report any information directly to her, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
He urged all hikers in the area to carry a whistle, be aware of their surroundings, and let family and friends know of their plans.
