Rachel Morin Confirmed Dead as Authorities Continue Investigation
Authorities have confirmed the death of Rachel Morin, the Maryland hiker who went missing over the weekend.
The mother of five, 37, disappeared while hiking the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, MD on Aug. 5; her boyfriend reported her missing when she failed to come home.
Her car was quickly located near the trailhead, and the Sheriff's department asked for the public's help in finding the missing woman. The day after she vanished, a body of a woman was found in the area, which has not been identified as Morin.
Authorities are now calling her death a "violent homicide," as they continue to search for the perpetrator. Sheriff Jeff Gahler shared an update on the department's Facebook page yesterday, revealing that there are currently 10 investigators working "around the clock" to uncover what happened.
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Over 100 tips have come in since the department turned to the public for help, including asking for any photos or videos taken in the area around the time of Morin's disappearance, some of which the Sheriff says have been "promising" or even "tremendous" in aiding investigators. Still, Gahler is calling for tips to keep coming.
He also assured citizens that there was an increase in police presence in the area of Morin's disappearance to assuage others', especially women's, fears of a potential predator and to keep hikers safe.
While little is still known—or at least public—about the murder, the Sheriff emphasized that it was in fact an "intentional taking of a person's life." He promised to provide more information and answer as many questions as possible at a later date, when doing so would not jeopardize their investigation.
Shortly after the discovery of her body, Gahler told WBAL-TV that they didn't have a "solid suspect," and were unsure if the murder was targeted or random. It's unclear at this time if their investigation has led them in a more concrete direction yet.
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