Rachel Morin: Maryland sheriff denies man’s claims about seeing missing mother’s body

The Maryland man who claimed he saw the body of 37-year-old Rachel Morin was not even “within eyesight of the crime scene” when she was found, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office told The Independent.

Michael Gabriszeski, 49, claimed to multiple news outlets that he and his stepdaughter came across Morin’s body on Sunday when they joined the search for the missing mother-of-five, who had vanished on Saturday after going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland.

Mr Gabriszeski said that his stepdaughter, who he said was a friend of Morin’s, was the first to discover the body in a tunnel near the trail before they alerted police. He gave his first public comments to WMAR on Monday.

On Thursday, multiple media outlets published interviews in which Mr Gabriszeski described seeing Morin’s remains in a horrifying state.

Mr Gabriszeski gave graphic accounts of what he claimed he saw to both the Daily Mail and WBFF, telling the latter that he “saw a terrible mess”.

But a spokesperson for the Harford County’s Sheriff’s Office confirmed to The Independent on Thursday that Mr Gabriszeski “did not find Rachel’s body” and that he did not “view her body.”

“He has no first-hand knowledge of the crime scene,” the sheriff’s office added. The spokesperson would not confirm whether or not the stepdaughter was the one to locate the body.

The goal amount for the GoFundMe has been raised to $65,000 as the family now plans to arrange a large celebration of life for Rachel Morin.

As of Thursday afternoon, donations totalled $41,612.

In a Facebook post, Morin’s mother wrote that “because of the tremendous outpouring of prayers, love and concern, our family is in the process of making arrangements for a Celebration of Life service to which friends and the community will be invited .”

Morin’s sister Rebkah, who created the page, posted on 7 August, thanking everyone for their support .

“I raised the goal as we would like to do a large celebration of life for Rachel. We had no idea the amount of people she touched, even in just her everyday life. We want all those who loved her to grieve with us and celebrate her life. We would also like to raise enough to get a headstone that is fitting for her and we did not take into account the fees. We appreciate all those who have shared, donated and thoughtful words. ❤️ Thank you.”

Rachel Morin’s sister Rebekah shared an open letter from Rachel’s mother asking for time to grieve.

The letter was posted to Facebook on Thursday just a day after the Hartford County Sheriff vowed to bring the “heinous coward” who killed Morin to justice.

To all the mothers with daughters, to the fathers, brothers and sisters, husbands, to our local community, and to world onlookers:

If you have experienced the loss of a dear loved one, then you know how hard it can be to express the pain that you feel in your heart. When it’s sudden and tragic, your mind looks for ways to cope.

As a mom, I appreciate the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the worldwide community that grieves with me for my young daughter.

Thank you for caring. Truly.

Because of the tremendous outpouring of prayers, love and concern, our family is in the process of making arrangements for a Celebration of Life service to which friends and the community will be invited (more details to come).

And because Rachel was an avid runner, we are in the early stages of planning a 5K walk/run in her honor with the hope of having a trail of flowers.

We are grieving. We need 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.

After the disappearance and death of Rachel Morin, police in the Harford County Sheriff’s Office have begun implementing a “heavy presence” of deputies patrolling the trail where the 37-year-old went missing.

This “heavy presence” includes authorities patrolling by foot, bike and all-terain vehicles.

The new large quantity of patrolling deputies is part of an effort to make members of the community feel safer.

Morin was killed over the weekend after going for a jog on the Ma and Pa Trail in northern Maryland.

Police do not have a solid suspect as of now and have warned people to act viligantly when embarking on the trail.

The Maryland man who found the body of 37-year-old Rachel Morin said “he had a feeling” about the tunnels where she was found dead off the Ma and Pa Trail.

Michael Gabriszeski, 49, told local news outlet WMAR-2 News that he joined the search for Morin after hearing about her disappearance from his daughter who was friends with Morin.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler called out the “heinous coward” responsible for the homicide of mother-of-five Rachel Morin.

The sheriff gave the latest update on Wednesday and said the killer must be brought to justice.

“Together we will solve this crime and find the heinous coward who took Rachel Morin from her family and friends,” Mr Gahler said.

Mr Gahler said a team of detectives have been working around the clock to piece together a timeline of the case and that some of the “more than 100 tips” that have been submitted by the public “have been promising.”

“Some of your tips have been promising and tremendous in advancing the investigation and bringing us closer to getting the answers that we need, the answers that Rachel’s family needs, and the answers that our community needs,” the sheriff said.

He urged the public to keep sending in tips – even if the details may seem insignificant.

“That might be the key piece of evidence of information we are looking for,” he added.

Rachel Morin shared a post on Facebook that hinted at her possible affinity for thrill months before she was found dead along a forest trail in Maryland.

Morin shared a post in February that read: “Risk can be dangerous, but routine can be deadly. Comfort has killed more dreams than daring ever did.”

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has more.

6pm – Rachel Morin is last seen heading out to run on the Ma & Pa Trail in northern Maryland.

11.23pm – The boyfriend of Rachel reports her missing after she does not return home.

Police begin searching for Rachel on the trail and surrounding areas.

1pm – Body of female victim located off of the Ma & Pa Trail is reported to police.

Police confirm the body found on the rail is Rachel Morin.

Police in the Harford County Sheriff’s Office said they’ve received over 100 tips from the public regarding the case of Rachel Morin, many of which have been helpful in the investigation.

“Some of your tips have been very promising and tremendous in advancing the investigation and bringing us closer to getting the answers that we need,” sheriff Jeffery Gahler said in a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday.

Mr Gahler asked that people continue to send in all tips, even if they seem minuscule.

“Even if it’s something that you might think is insignificant, that might be the key piece of evidence or information we are looking for.”

Police in the Harford County Sheriff’s Office have already questioned Rachel Morin’s boyfriend Richard Tobin – the Harford County sheriff said in a statement posted online.

Public speculation surrounding Morin’s death and disappearance has resulted in online theories about Morin’s recent boyfriend, Mr Tobin.

Mr Tobin released a statement on Facebook earlier this week saying he had nothing to do with Morin’s death.

Police have not released any further information about their investigation into Morin’s homicide.