Current:Home > BackDNA links killing of Maryland hiker to Los Angeles home invasion-InfoLens
DNA links killing of Maryland hiker to Los Angeles home invasion
View Date:2024-12-23 14:51:48
BEL AIR, Md. (AP) — DNA evidence has linked the recent killing of a Maryland woman whose body was found near a hiking trail to a Los Angeles home invasion and assault of a girl earlier this year, authorities said.
Both cases remain unsolved. Detectives matched DNA collected from the crime scenes, but they haven’t identified the suspect yet. Following a news conference Thursday evening in Harford County northeast of Baltimore, authorities released surveillance footage and photos of the suspect from video captured while he was leaving the house that authorities said he broke into in March.
Rachel Morin, 37, left her home to go hiking the evening of Aug. 5 and never returned. Her boyfriend reported her missing later that night and her car was found near an entrance to a trail she frequented, officials have said.
Her body was discovered the following day after her disappearance was widely reported.
“We believe this was a person that Rachel probably didn’t know,” Col. William Davis with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office said at the news conference, calling the killing a “potentially a random act of violence.”
Davis said law enforcement has no idea where the suspect is now.
He said DNA evidence recovered from Morin’s body matched another sample in a national law enforcement database, which is how detectives linked the two cases. Davis declined to provide additional details about the Los Angeles assault, saying only that the victim was a young girl.
Authorities said they hope someone will recognize the suspect from the surveillance footage and help detectives make an arrest.
In the meantime, Davis urged people to be careful in the area where Morin went missing. The sheriff’s office has ramped up patrols and Harford County officials announced earlier this week that cameras would soon be installed along the Ma and Pa Heritage Trail, which follows an old railroad through the county.
In an Aug. 10 Facebook post, Morin’s family asked for compassion and space to grieve. Morin leaves behind five children. Because she was an avid runner, the family said they’re hoping to plan a 5K in her honor.
veryGood! (98)
Related
- What happens to Donald Trump’s criminal conviction? Here are a few ways it could go
- North Carolina absentee ballots release, delayed by RFK Jr. ruling, to begin late next week
- Pennsylvania high court rules against two third-party candidates trying for presidential ballot
- Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to driving while impaired, to do community service
- Indiana man is found guilty of murder in the 2017 killings of 2 teenage girls
- 'Like a bomb going off': Video captures freight train smashing through artillery vehicle
- Florida sued for using taxpayer money on website promoting GOP spin on abortion initiative
- Teen Mom's Jenelle Evans Reacts After Son Jace Says He Feels Safer Without Her Ex David Eason
- ‘Emilia Pérez’ wouldn’t work without Karla Sofía Gascón. Now, she could make trans history
- Former President Barack Obama surprises Team USA at Solheim Cup
Ranking
- Larry Hobbs, who guided AP’s coverage of Florida news for decades, has died at 83
- We shouldn't tell Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to retire. But his family should.
- Congo court sentences 3 Americans and 34 others to death on coup charges
- What is the NFL's concussion protocol? Explaining league's rules for returning
- DWTS' Gleb Savchenko Shares Why He Ended Brooks Nader Romance Through Text Message
- Still adjusting to WWE life, Jade Cargill is 'here to break glass ceilings'
- Proof Meryl Streep and Martin Short Will Be Closer Than Ever at the 2024 Emmys
- Latest Georgia football player arrested for reckless driving comes two days before SEC opener
Recommendation
-
Stop smartphone distractions by creating a focus mode: Video tutorial
-
Nevada is joining the list of states using Medicaid to pay for more abortions
-
Report finds ‘no evidence’ Hawaii officials prepared for wildfire that killed 102 despite warnings
-
'We have to remember': World War I memorials across the US tell stories of service, loss
-
Stocks soared on news of Trump's election. Bonds sank. Here's why.
-
What exactly is soy lecithin? This food additive is more common than you might think.
-
50,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish fiery Tesla crash on California highway
-
Gunman says he heard ‘killing voices’ before Colorado supermarket shooting