‘Public not safe’ until Rachel Morin murder suspect in custody: Sheriff

(NewsNation) — Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler is warning the public isn’t safe until Rachel Morin’s murder suspect is caught.

“It’s seeming more and more like it was a random thing, but until we have him behind bars, we can’t rule out other people,” Gahler said during an appearance Friday on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”

A $10,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of Morin’s killer was 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.

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 DNA evidence 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.

Gahler said it’s most likely that the suspect has had other criminal offenses.

“You just don’t start being a murderer or committing a home invasion. … And he’s not going to stop, whether he’s done this to other people and it hasn’t been reported. Attacks on other people. … If he’s not apprehended he’s going to continue.”

Evan Lambert contributed to this report.