Officials believe they found the body of a woman who vanished after going for a walk on a trail in Maryland, authorities said Sunday.
Around 1 p.m. EDT, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a search volunteer after they found a body near the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland, Sheriff Jeff Gahler said at a news conference.
“We firmly believe this is the body of Rachel Morin,” Gahler said.
Morin, 37, was reported missing Saturday around 11:20 p.m. after her boyfriend said she failed to return from her walk, Gahler said. She was last seen around 6 p.m. on the trail. Her vehicle also was found near the trail, the sheriff’s office said.
Rachel Morin reportedly went to the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air at about 6 p.m. Saturday evening, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said Sunday. She was reported missing by her boyfriend around 11:30 p.m. when she didn’t return home.
Morin’s car was located at the trailhead and a volunteer searcher found the body at about 1 p.m. on Sunday, Gahler said.
“They set up a command center here so we figured that it was something rather grave that had happened to that poor woman,” Bel Air resident Kathy Tunney told CBS Baltimore.
The area reopened after deputies spent hours at the crime scene, but Gahler urged people walking the trail to be vigilant. He said he could not yet confirm that there is not a threat to the public.
“We understand this homicide causes a lot of concern. It causes a lot of concern for us,” Gahler said. “The trail is one of our major parks and recs assets that runs through a lot of different parts of Harford County.”
Residents of the normally quiet community told CBS Baltimore they are in shock.
“My daughter was just out running this morning to the end of the trail and back,” Tunney said. “So we enjoy it and we enjoy living next to it. I have never felt afraid.”
Gahler said there will be an increased police presence throughout the trail while deputies investigate.
“We ask anyone walking on the trail to always be aware of your surroundings,” Gahler said. “The earbuds are great, they help you exercise, but it can also prevent you from being aware of your surroundings. If possible, walk or run with a friend, buddy-up, or consider wearing a whistle or an alert device, and let your family know where you are. If you see something that doesn’t make you feel comfortable, and you feel suspicious about it, take out your phone and call 911 and let law enforcement respond.”
“While we believe while we firmly believe this is the body of Rachel Morin, that final determination, that final say belongs with the medical examiner and that has not happened yet,” Gahler said.
The normally quiet community of Bel Air has been shaken by the tragic discovery. Support for Morin, her family and the investigating deputies have been pouring in on social media.
The Sheriff’s Office, however, has asked that people refrain from posting any details as the investigation remains active and ongoing.
“We understand this homicide causes a lot of concern,” said Gahler. “We ask everyone to use good judgment on the trail and not just on the trail but in everyday life.
The sheriff declined to say exactly where Morin’s body was found or what type of injuries she had sustained. “Investigators are confident, based on what they observed at the scene, that this was not an accident and this was not self-inflicted,” Gahler said.
On social media, a man who identified himself as Morin’s partner said he was not involved in her death. Morin and Richard Tobin had set their status as “in a relationship” as of Aug. 1.
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