(NewsNation) — A $10,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of the person who killed Rachel Morin has been announced by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
So far, police said, they’ve had 300 tips come in and they are vetting each one.
“The investigation has progressed,” Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said. “We’re following tips as aggressively as we can.”
Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five from Maryland, was last seen alive Aug. 5 when she went for a walk on a nature trail in Bel Air. Her boyfriend later ended up reporting her missing when Morin’s car was found at the entrance of the Ma and Pa Trail trail, but she was nowhere to be found. The next day, Morin’s body was discovered by authorities off the trail.
Maryland State Police analyzed data left behind at the crime scene and ran it through a database. It returned as a match for a man suspected of invading a Los Angeles home and attacking a young girl in March. Investigators say they are confident the suspect in the home invasion is the same person who killed Morin.
Authorities do not have a name for the suspect, but have said he is a Hispanic male in his 20s standing 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds.
Police are warning if the suspect is not caught, he will reoffend.
“This guy has no regard for human life, for the value of human life,” Gahler told NewsNation host Dan Abrams.
The trail Morin was found is normally packed with walkers, runners and cyclists. One hiker told NewsNation she is “walking with a buddy” after news of Morin’s death.
“My mom also is a frequent flyer on this trail and she just purchased both of us pepper spray, the whistles that you pull, another whistle to just carry with us in our fanny packs, have on our wrist, just so we’re prepared in case we are walking alone,” Alexis Strobel said.
A celebration of life for Morin is set for Sunday afternoon.