Facebook (Rachel Morin)/Sheriff
Authorities in Maryland have matched DNA in the Rachel Morin murder case to an unknown suspect in a Los Angeles, California, home invasion and assault, they said in a news conference.
Col. William Davis, chief deputy of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, said in the news conference on August 17, 2023, that authorities obtained a video of the suspect in both cases leaving the Los Angeles home. They played the video at the news conference because they are hoping someone will be able to identify the suspect, Davis said.
Harford SheriffThe Rachel Morin suspect, according to authorities
Based on witness observations, the suspect is about 5 foot 9 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds, and of Hispanic descent, said Davis, who added that it’s believed the suspect is in his low to mid-20s. Morin’s body was discovered near a hiking trail in Bel Air, Maryland, on August 6, 2023, sheriff’s officials said previously.
You can watch the video later in this article.
Here’s what you need to know:
In the Video, the Rachel Morin Suspect Is Seen From Behind as He Leaves a Home Without a Shirt
Better Quality Video: DNA Linked to Suspect In Rachel Morin Murder Case: Unknown Male 5’9 160 Pounds | Believed to be Hispanic #RachelMorin Suspect was tied through DNA to a previous home invasion and assault of young girl in Los Angeles
The video shows a door open and then the suspect, who is wearing blue jeans and no shirt, walks out of the house. You can only see his back.
According to Davis, the suspect was in Los Angeles and committed that crime in March 2023. He said that the sheriff believed the community should be informed, adding that detectives are working “around the clock to bring justice to Rachel Morin, who was found murdered along the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland.”
The case generated 300 community tips, he said, but the big break in the case came when DNA was collected at the Morin crime scene and fed into the national CODIS system by Maryland State Police.
According to Davis, the “DNA has come back as a match tied to a home invasion and assault of a young girl this past March. That suspect has not been positively identified, but he did leave behind his DNA.”
The video was obtained by the Los Angeles Police Department, and authorities believe the man in the video is “the same person who murdered Rachel Morin,” said Davis. He did not release further details of the Los Angeles attack, including the victim’s age.
Morin’s boyfriend previously denied involvement in the murder.
Authorities Now Believe That the Rachel Morin Murder May Have Been a Random Act
Facebook (Rachel Morin)Rachel Morin
People with information are urged to call detectives at 410-836-7788 or write to the tip line, rmtips@harfordsheriff.org.
“We believe the suspect acted alone, and he doesn’t represent the entire Hispanic community in Harford County, who we are now partnering with to find this suspect,” said Davis. “Our community will not be defined by this tragedy.”
Davis urged citizens to use caution and “walk with a friend” while using local trails. He said police will maintain an increased presence on the Ma and Pa Trail.
He described the Los Angeles case as an “attack on a young girl” and confirmed of the video, “That is the suspect leaving the home, the scene of the crime.”
He said that “this was a person Rachel probably did not know; potentially a random act of violence.”
According to Davis, authorities have “no clue” where the suspect might be. All they know is that he was in California in March and in Maryland in August.
They don’t know whether he was targeting people along the trail.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement on August 6, 2023, “At approximately 1:07 p.m., a female was located deceased off of the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air. The identity of the victim, as well as the cause, and manner of death are still under investigation.”
In their written statement, sheriff’s officials noted: “Rachel’s car was located at the Williams Street entrance in Bel Air. If you are walking the trail this morning and see anything suspicious, please call 911.”
Authorities added: “Rachel was last seen around 6:00 pm on Saturday, August 5, 2023 when she left to walk on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air.”
Michael Gabriszeski, who found Morin’s body, told Fox 45 Baltimore that he and a relative discovered her body in a tunnel drain, and she had suffered severe head trauma that he believes may have come from a rock. A bloody rock was also in the area, he said.
“I saw a terrible mess,” he said to the television station. “There’s not going to be an open casket. I can guarantee you that.”
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