The 37-year-old mother of five, who was found dead on a Maryland hiking trail over the weekend, was beaten to death by her killer and left naked, has learned.
Rachel Morin’s lifeless body was discovered in a drain in a tunnel on the scenic Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, Maryland, after he was reported missing Saturday night.
Local Michael Gabriszeski had joined the search for the missing mother along with his stepdaughter Cecilia – who was friends with Morin – and her boyfriend Evan when he stumbled upon her remains on Sunday.
Michael Gabriszeski had joined his stepdaughter and her friend in the search for missing mother Rachel Morin, 37, on the Ma & Pa trail in Bel Air, Maryland, when the trio stumbled upon her remains on Sunday
Police declined to comment on how Morin died or what injuries she sustained, but Gabriszeski said the 37-year-old was completely nude and appeared to have suffered “brutal head trauma.”
Grabiszeski said he felt compelled to check the drainage tunnels along the trail after noticing “disorders” in the ground near the trail Morin walked
In an interview with , Gabriszeski, a Native American tracker, said the couple decided to check out two drainage tunnels on the Hartford County hiking trail after noticing “disruptions” in the ground near the trail where the fitness fan had made an attack go for a walk that night.
“Cecilia was the first person to see the body,” he said. “She was hyperventilating really, really badly. And then the police asked her to sit down.
“As she sat down, she realized she was sitting in a large pool of blood.”
Morin was last seen around 6pm on Saturday leaving her home to hike the Ma and Pa Trail
“She was lying completely naked on her back with brutal head trauma … it appeared as if her head had been smashed in with a rock.”
“There was a 15 to 20 foot trail of blood.” So it looked like she had been punched and dragged into that position.”
“It looked like (the killer) was trying to erase her identity,” added the 48-year-old.
“The right side of her face was gone.”
A separate source close to the family had previously told that the young mother suffered severe head trauma.
“The injuries were so terrible that there will be no open coffin (at her funeral),” the source said.
The witness described seeing “a 15 to 20 foot trail of blood” near Morin’s body and said it appeared that her “head had been smashed in with a rock”.
No suspects have been arrested in the Morin murder, but a murder investigation is ongoing
Locals were spotted Tuesday participating in a community walk along the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air during investigations
A spokeswoman for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the manner in which Morin was killed.
Meanwhile, police have been trying to get all the footage of people who were on the trail over the weekend.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement yesterday: “Investigators are asking for your help.”
“If you were on or near the Ma & Pa Trail or trailheads on Saturday and took photos or video, we ask that you please share them with investigators.”
“There might be something useful in one of your photos that could give us another piece of the puzzle.”
“As of this morning, we have already received nearly 90 tips from concerned community members in relation to the killing of Rachel Morin.
“Thank you for all the support you have given.”
On Monday, it was officially confirmed that the body found was Rachel.
Officials at the Harford County Sheriff’s Office in Bel Air, about 45 miles north of Baltimore, said they still had no leads on possible suspects.
Morin’s new boyfriend, who has a criminal past, claimed on social media on Sunday that he had nothing to do with her killing
Rachel Morin and Richard Tobin started dating “a few weeks” ago. She was found murdered on a hiking trail on Sunday. The pair are shown during a previous hike together
Local police declined to comment on how Morin died or what injuries she sustained.
Her family said she did not leave “voluntarily” and that her death was “not an accident”.
This comes after her new boyfriend claimed on social media on Sunday that he had nothing to do with her killing, despite his criminal past.
The couple had made their relationship official on social media just four days earlier.
He said, “I love Rachel.” I would never hurt her, let the family and I grieve. Yes, I have a past, but I’m also 15 months clean and I’ve changed as a person. Please.’
Tobin has been arrested 14 times since 2014 on a variety of charges including drug trafficking, assault, disorderly conduct and evading arrest.
His extensive criminal record includes two arrests for second-degree criminal assault, restraining order violation, drug possession and malicious damage to property.
Documents show Tobin also has a number of traffic offenses, a fugitive offense, resisting arrest, and disorderly intoxication and disorderly conduct on his record.