(NewsNation) — It’s been six weeks since authorities say Rachel Morin was murdered on a popular Maryland nature trail. With the suspect still on the run, Morin’s family has launched a digital campaign with hopes of tracking down Rachel’s killer.
Shannon Morin, Rachel’s sister-in-law, said the family felt called to launch the campaign in both English and Spanish.
“Upon knocking on some doors, we realized that a lot of the Hispanic community didn’t even know this happened and they live right by that Ma and Pa Trail where it did happen,” Shannon told NewsNation’s Natasha Zouves. “There’s women and children from those families just walking around with absolutely no clue this happened.”
Shannon said the trail was known as a popular, safe spot for families to enjoy before Rachel’s death.
“It’s not something you expect in that neighborhood. It’s never happened in that neighborhood before as far as any of us know,” Shannon said, later adding: “We don’t want this to happen to anybody else’s family. It’s not something anybody should have to go through.”
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said DNA from the Bel Air, Maryland, crime scene is a match for a man suspected of invading a Los Angeles home. Investigators released security footage from the Los Angeles incident and urged the community to be on the lookout for him.
Authorities currently do not have a name or location for the suspect. They described the suspect as a Hispanic male in his 20s, standing 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds.
Despite combing through hundreds of tips, investigators have not captured the suspected killer. Shannon feels certain that he will strike again, saying “it’s just a matter of time.”
Rachel and Shannon were close and had known each other since they were teenagers. Losing Rachel, a devoted mother of five, has been “really traumatic” for Shannon, who says they would take their children trick-or-treating and celebrate Christmas together.
“She was so funny and we laughed a lot,” Shannon said, later adding: “She just was so outgoing and so fun.”
She continued: “It’s not something that you think is going to happen to your family.”
Rachel, 37, was last seen alive Aug. 5, when she went for a walk on the Bel Air nature trail. Her car was spotted at the entrance of the trail, but she was nowhere to be found at the time. Her boyfriend ended up reporting her missing, sparking the search.
The following day, the sheriff’s office announced that the missing persons case for Rachel had escalated into a homicide investigation after a volunteer searcher located her body along the Ma and Pa trail.
Without revealing details of the crime scene where her body was discovered, the sheriff’s office has confirmed she died from a “violent attack.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 410-836-7788.
