Maryland man who found Rachel Morin's body speaks out
The former national park search and rescue officer who helped find Rachel Morin's body a day after the Maryland mother of five went missing from a pedestrian trail in Bel Air described the crime as ‘brutal’ in an interview with FOX 45.
The former national park search and rescue officer who said he helped find Rachel Morin's body a day after the Maryland mother of five disappeared from a pedestrian trail in Bel Air described the crime as "brutal" in an interview with local news.
Michael Gabriszeski and his stepdaughter volunteered to help search for Morin on Sunday near the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, where the 37-year-old mother was last seen jogging on Saturday evening.
"I told my stepdaughter … 'She’s not going to be laying out in the open. She's going to be tucked away,'" Gabriszeski told FOX 45 Baltimore.
Gabriszeski said he kept seeing visions of tunnels in his mind prior to finding Morin, and when he saw tunnel drains along the Ma & Pa trail, he "got chills."
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Rachel Morin's body was found on Sunday. (Harford County Sheriff's Office)
His stepdaughter eventually found Morin's body surrounded by a pool of blood in a tunnel drain around 1 p.m. Sunday, Gabriszeski told FOX 45.
"I saw a terrible mess," he told the outlet. "There's not going to be an open casket, I can guarantee you that."
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Gabriszeski added that Morin appeared to have "severe head trauma" that was possibly the result of a rock or baseball bat, and his stepdaughter apparently found a rock covered in blood near the crime scene.
A photo of Rachel Morin is posted to a tree by her family along the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, Maryland. (Mega for Fox News Digital)
"If somebody were to just do a thrill kill, it wouldn't be as brutal as what we witnessed," he said.
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A spokesperson for the Harford County Sheriff's Office did not confirm whether Morin's body was found in tunnel drains along the trail but noted that Gabriszeski "did not find Rachel or witness her body" and "has no first-hand knowledge of the crime scene."
SEE PHOTOS: Rachel's Pictures Posted Along the Trail
Morin's cause and manner of death have not been released as of Thursday, but Sheriff Jeff Gahler described Morin's death as "a criminal homicide" in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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"It was more than obviously apparent to police officers and our detectives who came up that this was not an accidental injury — somebody out exercising who's fallen down and sustained a fatal injury," Gahler said. "This was not something that was self-inflicted. … This was the action of one or more persons who took her life in a criminal homicide — an egregious, horrific act in what is very otherwise … a very, very safe area."
Rachel Morin's body was found on Sunday. (Harford County Sheriff's Office/FB)
Morin frequently jogged along the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail, which begins behind some businesses with decent foot traffic, including a brewery, a Domino's and condominiums. It then leads into a wooded area and through a neighborhood before it descends into more woods underneath the state highway, Gahler said.
As of Thursday afternoon, authorities have not named any suspects or persons of interest. Gahler is also shooting down rumors that are circulating on social media with regard to the nature of Morin's killing and speculation about suspects.
Richard Tobin, left, denied that he had any role in girlfriend Rachel Morin's death after her body was found on a Maryland hiking trail Sunday. (Facebook)
In an open letter published to Facebook on Thursday, Morin's mother thanked the community for their help and said her family needs "the time and space to grieve as a family."
"We have not forgotten our community. We just need time. . . I need time. 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," she wrote.
Morin's boyfriend, Richard Tobin, broke his silence Sunday in a Facebook post after online sleuths speculated that he might have played a role in her death.
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"I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve. Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please," the 27-year-old wrote.
Richard Tobin took to Facebook on Sunday to deny any involvement in the killing of his girlfriend, Rachel Morin, whose body was found on a hiking trail. (Facebook)
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Tobin has prior arrests for malicious destruction of property, assault, violating restraining orders and other charges, according to Maryland court records, but he has not been named as a suspect in his girlfriend's death or accused of any wrongdoing.
Police are shown at the Williams Street section of the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland, on Tuesday. The trail is where 37-year-old Rachel Morin was found dead on Sunday. (Mega for Fox News Digital)
The sheriff's office is encouraging anyone with a tip that may be helpful for authorities to call 410-836-5430 or send the Harford County Sheriff's Office a message through its Facebook page.
Fox News' Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
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