Tens of thousands of dollars poured into a GoFundMe campaign to pay for Rachel Morin’s funeral and support her five children after the Bel Air woman was brutally killed last year.

But, according to a lawsuit filed in Harford County Circuit Court, her children haven’t seen a dime.

“The kids are obviously hurting, they need the finances to help them with everyday supplies, and they’re not getting answers,” said George S. Robinson IV, the children’s attorney.

The lawsuit names as defendants Morin’s mother, Patty Morin; a sister, Rebekah Morin; and the Lutherville law firm that represents them, Rice, Murtha & Psoras.

The killing of the 37-year-old, and the charges against a Salvadoran man who authorities say was in the country illegally, has drawn national attention.

Patty Morin has appeared with former President Donald Trump at the southern border to call for stricter immigration policy and testified before Congress this week. Other family members on both sides of the GoFundMe dispute have made appearances with Trump.

The lawsuit says Morin’s children, who range in age from 8 to 19, also have not received any proceeds from four restaurant fundraisers held on their behalf, including events at Box Hill Pizzeria and Flavor Cupcakery.

And it asks that lawyer Randolph Rice stop “representing that he is the Rachel Morin Family attorney.” He does not represent the children, including the eldest, Faye McMahon, who is her mother’s next of kin and executor of her estate, the lawsuit says.

Rice, who has been representing Patty Morin and some of Rachel Morin’s siblings, said the money has been placed in a trust fund designated for the children’s educational and medical expenses. He questioned the motives of the fathers of the children.

McMahon and the fathers of the four minor children, acting on their behalf, are named as plaintiffs.

“Clearly, the individuals who filed the action are motivated more by self-interest than any genuine concern for the welfare of Rachel Morin’s children — they appear to be advocating for themselves under the guise of fighting for the kids,” Rice said in a statement.

“We take our representation of the Rachel Morin family seriously, which has been provided pro bono and with significant expenses expended by our firm,” Rice said. “We will continue our mission to support Rachel Morin’s family through this tragic time, as we are committed to upholding the highest standards of victim advocacy.”

McMahon declined to comment on the suit, as did Jon Alderson, the father of Rachel Morin’s two youngest children. Joseph Custer, the father of the two middle children, did not respond to requests for comment.

Erin Morin Layman, Rachel Morin’s half-sister and the children’s aunt, said she saw firsthand how money and gifts gathered for the children never reached them. She helped organize the fundraiser at Box Hill Pizzeria with her brother, Josh Morin. It raised $6,000 intended for the children’s Christmas gifts.

“Someone needs to be a voice for the children through this,” Layman said. “It really broke my heart that the kids didn’t get anything.”

Relatives have questioned each other’s relationship with the Morin children.

Layman said that neither Patty Morin nor Rebekah Morin is close to the kids and rarely see them. Rice, meanwhile, said it is “ironic and deplorable” that Layman — whom he said “had no relationship with Rachel Morin before her death” — would make such a claim.

“The fact is, Patty Morin regularly babysat Rachel’s children and Rebekah Morin welcomed them into her home for overnight stays,” Rice said.

The children have endured the agony of losing their mother, who was killed after going for a run along the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail on Aug. 5, 2023. Her badly beaten body was found the next day in a drainage tunnel, and a 10-month investigation that followed led to the arrest of a suspect at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, bar in June.

Victor Martinez Hernandez, 23, was charged with first-degree murder and rape in Morin’s killing. Authorities say he killed a woman in his native El Salvador before crossing the border illegally. He is also accused of brutally assaulting a girl in Los Angeles in March 2023.

Patty Morin joined Trump at a press conference at the southern border and testified this week before the House Judiciary Committee. Layman has appeared in a Trump ad that aired in swing states, and other family members spoke at the Republican National Convention.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said in an interview on a Sunday news show in June that he agreed with Harford Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler that failed border policies are putting Americans in danger.

“We have an immigration policy that needed to have been dealt with and was not, and the consequences then fall on us,” Moore said on the CBS news show “Face the Nation.”

Rebekah Morin launched the GoFundMe soon after her sister’s body was found. The fundraiser initially stated that the proceeds would cover the cost of a funeral and headstone for Rachel Morin and that “if there are any remaining funds they will go towards things her 5 children may need,” according to the suit.

Then on Jan. 5, after the GoFundMe had generated more than $53,000 in donations, the text was changed to say, “If there are any remaining funds they will go towards Rachel’s family and things her minor children may need,” effectively barring McMahon, the eldest child who is not a minor, from receiving the proceeds, according to the suit.

A hearing in the case has been scheduled for Oct. 7.

Alderson, the father of Rachel Morin’s two youngest children, Lilah, 8, and Deklan, 11, said he and the other fathers continue to arrange periodic weekends for the five siblings to spend time together.

He said he tries to protect his children from hearing the disturbing details of their mother’s death, but the summer was hard for them.

“It’s better now that school has started and there is structure every day,” he said. “In the summer, it’s hard to keep their minds busy to not dwell on it.”

This story has been corrected to state the proper ages of Rachel Morin’s youngest children and to clarify Layman’s remarks about the children’s relationship with Patty and Rebekah Morin.