Rachel was passionate about her children and family more than anything.
Born on May 20, 1986, in New Hampshire, Rachel Morin was always the person in the room spreading joy with her infectious love for life. Her family says Rachel was a devoted mother to her children Faye, Violet, Octavia, Deklan, and Lilah.
Beyond being a mother, she loved fashion and playing with style. Photos of Rachel depict her as a trendy woman — always with a smile as her greatest accessory.
Rachel was also an avid fitness enthusiast, often participating in 5ks, marathons, and lifting weights. She enjoyed traveling when she could, and she had visited numerous places, namely Miami, Aruba, Las Vegas, and New England.
Her family says Rachel was the life of every party.
"She had a special knack for making people laugh," Rachel's obituary reads. "Her presence was the joy she showed and her smile the light in the room. She was deeply devoted to her faith, which was a guiding force throughout her life."
On the Saturday evening of August 5, 2023, Rachel went out for an evening walk along the Ma & Pa Heritage trail — as she often did.
The trail is a scenic 6.25 mile multi-purpose path with varying terrain. Parts of the path are either paved, decked over, or within the woods.
But, when Rachel didn't make it home that night, her boyfriend Richard Tobin, reports her as missing to the police just before midnight at 11:23pm.
The next day, an organized search is put together, when a citizen discovers a woman's body inside a drainage tunnel.
She is later identified as Rachel Morin.
On August 17, 2023, investigators found a DNA match to another suspect after entering the male DNA found at the scene into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
The suspect is the same person who committed a home invasion and assault of a young girl in Los Angeles in March, 2023. Doorbell camera footage of the suspect shows the man leaving the home, wearing pants but no shirt. He’s described as a Hispanic male in his early-to-mid-20s, standing approximately 5’9” and weighing about 160 pounds.
Emotional Family Photos
Recently, Tim Pappa, former FBI Special Agent and Profiler with the BAU, worked with the Morin family to film emotional videos.
Pappa’s mission at the Ma and Pa Trail in Maryland was simple — give Rachel’s loved one’s the space to share their feelings following a traumatic event (the Meaning Making Model) while standing in a significant location (a.k.a., persuasive geography) to create moving content that could help drive the case.
In October 2023, evidence related to the crime leads investigators to the Washington D.C. metro area where they interview an individual they say is "relevant" to the case to help identify the suspect.
Then, in November 2023, the Morin family distributed flyers to the Los Angeles region, partnering with the US Postal Service's Targeted Mailing Program. The flyers are delivered to about 10,000 homes.
On November 29, 2023, AI cameras were starting to be installed along the Ma & Pa Hiking Trail. The project completion date is expected to be February 2024.
Suspect Charged in Tulsa, OK.
Through DNA evidence and tracking, local police and the FBI arrested Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez in Tulsa, Oklahoma in June of 2024. Martinez-Hernandez, allegedly entered the U.S. illegally last year from El Salvador, where he was wanted for murdering a woman, according to the sheriff and the FBI.
Information:
Date Found: August 6, 2023
Date of Death: August 5, 2023
Age at Incident: 37
Timeline:
August 5, 2023
6:00pm: Rachel Goes For A Walk In the Early Evening
Details
Rachel goes out for an early-evening walk along the Ma & Pa Trail around 6:00pm.
Ma & Pa Heritage Trail
Related People
Rachel Morin: Victim
August 5, 2023
11:23pm: Rachel Fails to Return Home
Details
After Rachel fails to return home from her walk and doesn't contact anyone, her boyfriend, Richard Tobin worries and reports her missing to the police at 11:23pm.
Related People
Rachel Morin: Victim
Richard Tobin: Boyfriend
August 6, 2023
1:00pm: A Citizen Reports Finding a Woman's Body Off the Ma & Pa Trail
Details
The next day at around 1:00pm, during an organized search, a citizen discovers a woman's body while walking along the Ma & Pa Trail.
Ma & Pa Heritage Trail
Related People
Rachel Morin: Victim
August 6, 2023
The Body is Confirmed to Be Rachel Morin's
Details
Later that afternoon, Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler identified the body to be 37-year-old Rachel Morin, turning the investigation from a missing persons case to a homicide investigation.
Ma & Pa Heritage Trail
Related People
Rachel Morin: Victim
Sheriff: Jeffrey Gahler
Law Enforcement
August 6, 2023
Evening: Rachel's Boyfriend Denies Involvement in Her Death
Details
Rachel's boyfriend, Richard Tobin takes to social media to deny involvement in Rachel's death despite details of his criminal record circulating. “I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve,” Mr Tobin writes. “Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please.”
Related People
Richard Tobin: Boyfriend
August 11, 2023
Investigators Contact Potential Witnesses
Details
Detectives identify and contact five people who were walking their dogs on the trail between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. the night Morin was on the trail walking to formulate a timeline.
Ma & Pa Heritage Trail
Related People
Sheriff: Jeffrey Gahler
Law Enforcement
August 17, 2023
DNA Evidence Matches Another Crime Scene
Details
DNA collected at the crime scene is analyzed by the Maryland State Police and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The evidence is a match to DNA collected from a March home invasion and assault of a young girl in Los Angeles.
Related People
Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez: Charged Offender
August 27, 2023
1:00pm: Celebration of Life
Details
A public "Celebration of Life" is held at the Greater Grace Wolrd Outreach Church. Many people bring flowers to be put on display, and all family, friends, the community, and the media are welcomed.
Greater Grace World Outreach Church
August 17, 2023
Police Release Doorbell Cam Footage of Potential Suspect
Details
Police release doorbell cam footage from the LA home invasion from March 2023. The footage shows the suspect leaving the home wearing pants but no shirt (he appears to be carrying a piece of clothing). His DNA hasn't shown up in any other law enforcement database. The suspect in the footage is identified as a male of Hispanic descent in his early-to-mid-20s, height approximately 5-foot-9 and weighing about 160 pounds.
Related People
Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez: Charged Offender
October 2023
Investigators Question Someone in the DC Area
Details
Evidence related to the crime leads investigators into the D.C.-Metro area where they interview an individual relevant to the investigation. The individual is not a suspect, but someone who has information to potentially identify that person seen in the doorbell camera footage.
October 2023
Reward Raises to $30,000
Details
After two months of no new leads, a woman anonymously donates $10,000 to the reward fund, raising it to $30,000 in hopes that someone will come forward with information.
November 2023
Morin Family Sends Flyers to Los Angeles in Search of the Suspect
Details
The Morin family distributes flyers to the Los Angeles region, partnering with the United States Postal Service’s Targeted Mailing Program. The flyers are being delivered to about 10,000 homes in the vicinity of the L.A. crime scene, printed in both English and Spanish.
Related People
Michael Morin: Brother
Shannon Morin: Sister-In-Law
Rice, Murtha & Psoras Trial Lawyers: Lawyers
November 24, 2023
Fundraisder Held for Rachel's Children
Details
Box Hill Pizzeria and Crab Cakes in Abingdon hosts a fundraiser on Thanksgiving weekend to raise money to help support Christmas gifts for Rachel's children. Rachel's older sister, Rebekah Morin is putting the money generated from the fundraiser toward presents and a trust fund.
Box Hill Pizzeria and Crab Cakes
Related People
Rebekah Morin: Sister
November 29, 2023
AI Cameras Installed on the Ma & Pa Hiking Trail
Details
Amid Rachel's death, Harford County has begun the installation of AI video cameras on the hiking trail where Rachel Morin was murdered. The system will include 26 cameras and cover nearly 2 miles and has the ability to identify if someone is being attacked, and whether there is a gun in the frame. The expected completion date of this project is February 2024, and residents have already expressed the sense of relief that these cameras are bringing them.
Ma & Pa Heritage Trail
June 14, 2024
Suspect Arrested in Tulsa OK
Details
After 10 months of searching for the suspect, investigators say they caught the man who allegedly murdered Rachel. The FBI attributes the arrest to DNA evidence and old-fashioned detective work tracking down the undocumented suspect. Local police and the FBI arrested Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Related People
Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez: Charged Offender
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