Police Issue Suspect Sketches in Hiker’s Murder

(Daily360.com) – There may be a big break in the case of the murder of 37-year-old Rachel Morin, as a sketch of the suspected killer has been released. Morin, a mother of five, was killed six months ago while running along the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, California. Her body was discovered by a volunteer searcher after her boyfriend reported her missing.

The Hartford County Sheriff released two sketch versions of the suspect they are searching for. One sketch featured a man with short cropped hair and the other had the same man wearing a red baseball cap, similar to one recovered at the scene. DNA evidence found at the scene of Morin’s murder matched that of a man connected to a home invasion sex assault in Los Angeles.

The sheriff’s office told the media that over the last six months of investigating they received more than 1,000 tips and conducted more than 100 interviews related to the case. They believe the suspect had been lurking in the area for weeks or more. Investigators have been trying to find out where he may have been sleeping, working or who he was staying with during that time.

The sheriff’s office also confirmed that they have been working with officials in seven states, and also with several federal and local law enforcement agencies. Captain Andy Lane, who is leading the investigation, recently spoke at length on the “Into the Sherriff’s Spotlight” podcast with Sheriff Jeff Gahler about the case. He said they’ve been looking at several videos taken during the weeks prior to Morin’s death and saw a man matching the description supplied by witnesses. This made them confident that they needed to release the sketch to find this person. Gahler said the it’s possible that a serial killer is behind the slayings, based on the DNA history and reports that the suspect may have been casing the area of Morin’s death for some time. The suspect is described to be possibly Hispanic, 5’ 9’ tall, and weighing about 160 pounds with short dark hair.

Copyright 2024, Daily360.com