Hundreds of people gathered Saturday to remember the life of Rachel Morin, the Maryland mother of five who was attacked and murdered earlier this month on a walking trail, CBS News reports.
Morin’s loved ones organized the walk so the community could come together to pray, grieve and heal.
Attendees were asked to bring flowers and electric candles to line the trail, marking what are believed to be her final steps.
“The walk is really to remember not the end of her but her life and the fact that this place was an area where she gained strength, joy, solitude and often times serenity,” Joe Murtha, a lawyer with Rice, Murtha, and Psoras law firm (who represents the Morin family), said at the gathering.
Murtha added that the family wanted to express gratitude for the community’s support.
“The one thing that they’ve asked me to really focus on is saying thank you. Thank you for being here, thank you for showing your support, and most importantly, as this investigation goes forward, and it spreads out throughout the entire United States, we’re hoping that some person who has the humanity will assist and bring an end to this.”
Morin had planned to walk the Ma & Pa Trail in Harford County around 6 p.m. on August 5. She never returned home. Volunteer search crews found her body the following day just off the trail.
This week, authorities announced that DNA discovered as part of the investigation is linked to an unsolved California home invasion and assault on a child in March. Police have not yet identified the suspect, but they did release security camera footage showing a male from the California home invasion.
Since Morin’s murder, police have warned people using the trail to be cautious and maintain awareness of the environment around them.
At Saturday’s event, local mother Christina Edwards said she showed up to support the Morin family and is also concerned about public safety.
“We definitely came out to support the family, the community. This has really touched us. And, just to, you know, honor her, remember her,” Edwards told WBAL-TV. “Having three young daughters, really, it’s scary not knowing who this person is and if they’re still out there.”
To report information about the case, contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office at RMTIPS@HARFORDSHERIFF.ORG.
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