Rachel Morin’s mom asks for ‘compassion’ after ‘tragic’ Maryland murder
The mother of the Maryland woman who was found dead on a hiking trail over the weekend asked the public for “compassion” in her emotional first statement since her daughter’s mysterious death.
“It has only been 4 days since we received the horrific news. I ask that as mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, that you would please have compassion on us and allow us this,” Rachel Morin’s mother, Patty Morin, wrote in an open letter shared on her daughter Rebekah’s Facebook page Thursday.
“If you have experienced the loss of a dear loved one, then you know how hard it can be to express the pain that you feel in your heart. When it’s sudden and tragic, your mind looks for ways to cope,” she added.
“As a mom, I appreciate the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the worldwide community that grieves with me for my young daughter.”
The family is planning a celebration of life that will include the close-knit community, Patty added, as well as a 5k run in Morin’s honor.
Patty’s statement was published a few hours before the Harford County Sheriff’s Office issued an appeal for a group of witnesses who may have seen Morin on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air shortly before she went missing Saturday night.
“These witnesses were described as either being 3 men, 2 women and 2 dogs OR 2 men, 3 women and 2 dogs,” the statement said of the individuals, who are believed to have been at the trailhead between 6 and 7:30 p.m.
Morin, 37, was last observed heading out on the Ma & Pa Trail at 6 p.m. Saturday.
She was reported missing by her boyfriend, Richard Tobin, shortly before midnight.
On Facebook, Tobin insisted he “would never do anything” to Morin.
Though law enforcement has not named any suspects in Morin’s death, they have confirmed that the mom of five was the victim of foul play.
Morin’s body was found in a drain on the trail by one of her close friends, the pal’s stepfather Michael Gabriszeski claimed.
Gabriszeski also alleged that Morin was “fully naked” and had “brutal head trauma.”
“It looked like her head had been smashed in with a rock,” he claimed.
“There was a 15 to 20-foot blood trail. So, it looked like she had been beaten and dragged into that position.”
The tragedy of Morin’s killing is underscored by the recent death of her four-month-old niece, Lily Beth Morin, who died of SIDS just over a week before Morin’s disappearance.
As of Friday morning, Morin’s family raised over $42,000 of their $65,000 goal on a GoFundMe for funeral and other expenses.
The young mom did not have life insurance, her sister, Rebekah, previously confirmed.
