Rachel Morin's Mother Pens Open Letter About Daughter's 'Sudden and Tragic' Murder

On Thursday, Patty Morin released an open letter to the public via her other daughter Rebekah's Facebook page to "all the mothers with daughters, to the fathers, brothers and sisters, husbands, to our local community, and to world onlookers" amid the investigation into Rachel's murder.

"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," she wrote.

"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," she continued. "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," wrote Patty, sharing their plans to honor Rachel following her death. "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," she concluded. "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."

Her letter came shortly before the Harford County Sheriff's Office made another plea to the public for help, this time regarding potential witnesses.

"Detectives have been made aware of potential witnesses that may have observed Rachel Morin on the trail," they shared to Facebook on Thursday. "These individuals were walking on the Ma and PA trail from the Rt. 24 tunnel toward the split in the trail that leads to the Williams Street trailhead between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm. These witnesses were described as either being 3 men, 2 women and 2 dogs OR 2 men, 3 women and 2 dogs."

The investigation into Morin's murder began Saturday after her boyfriend said she never returned from a run. After he reported her missing, her body was discovered the following day along a hiking trail.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler said one question his office has "continued to get centers around whether we have interviewed the boyfriend in this case." He then confirmed that, yes, they have -- before adding, "along with many other people who are close to Rachel."

"That is the way an investigation is conducted," he continued. "We start with people who are in her close inner circle and others who may have known her and work outward."

According to Gahler, 10 investigators from the criminal investigations division have been assigned to the case and "continue to work around the clock" on the case. He said those detectives, forensic investigators and crime analysts "have been scouring every detail of the days, hours, minutes and seconds before Rachel died in order to put together the pieces of a comprehensive timeline."

"Please be safe and take care of each other, watch out for each other," he concluded in his message. "Together we will solve this crime and find the heinous coward who took Rachel Morin from her family and friends."