The boyfriend of the Maryland woman found dead on a walking trail Sunday has expressed his innocence via social media — alluding that he’s had struggles with the law but has “changed as a person” as police kick off a homicide investigation.
Richard Tobin, the boyfriend of Rachel Morin — whose body was discovered off the Ma and Pa Trail in Maryland — took to the Facebook comments under the couple’s fresh Aug. 1 relationship status to shoot down any theories that he had anything to do with the mother of five’s death.
“I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve. Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please,” Tobin wrote under the status.
Over 480 comments have built up under the now ominous seven-day-old relationship post, with some users speculating about Tobin’s involvement in her death and others expressing he remains innocent until proven guilty.
Tobin, 27, hinted at his lengthy history with law enforcement — including two arrests for criminal second-degree assault, malicious destruction of property, drug possession, and violating restraining orders, according to court records.
The 20 charges previously filed against him in Maryland also include resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication.
Police have confirmed that a homicide investigation into Morin’s death is underway, but Tobin has not been accused of any wrongdoing, nor has law enforcement named him as a suspect.
Morin, 37, was last seen home wearing a dark tank top, black sports bra, black spandex shorts, and gray sneakers, heading out to the Ma and Pa Trail, in Bel Air, on Saturday at around 6 p.m.
Tobin was confirmed to be the individual that first reported Morin’s disappearance after she failed to return home, police said.
He also provided information about where her vehicle was located, which law enforcement confirmed was correct during their search for the missing mother.
“At around 1:07 p.m. [Sunday], a citizen called 9-1-1 to report a female’s body had been located off the trail,” Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said during the press conference.
Gahler shared that upon arrival of law enforcement, “the investigation went from a missing persons investigation to a homicide investigation.”
“I’m not going to go into what, physically, they observed at the scene. But investigators believe sadly that it’s a homicide case,” Gahler revealed.
Investigators are still waiting on the coroner’s office to confirm the remains.
“While we firmly believe this is the body of Rachel Morin,” the sheriff said.
“That final determination, that final say, belongs with the medical examiner and that has not happened yet.”
Police said they currently do not have any suspects in Morin’s death.
The trail is located near the center of Bel Air, about 46 miles northeast of Baltimore.
“My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6 pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement,” Rebekah Morin, the victim’s sister, wrote in GoFundMe set up for funeral expenses for the mother of five.
Rachel Morin revealed just a week earlier that she lost her niece to sudden infant death syndrome and wrote that her sister “did not go willingly” as her family suffered another tragedy.
“This was not an accidentally (sic) death,” the sister shared. “She did not go willingly and she deserves a funeral worthy of her beauty.”
