Timmerman and her 11-month-old daughter, Shannon, disappeared two days before Gabrion was set to stand trial on rape charges filed by Rachel the previous summer.

[1][2] Although Gabrion was not tried for killing Shannon, court documents describe her murder as “virtually undisputed.”[3] Gabrion is also the prime suspect in the disappearances and murders of several other people, including an additional witness who was set to testify against him in the trial for rape, his handyman, another potential witness and family friend, and an unknown man.

On August 7, 1996, Rachel Timmerman reported to Newaygo County Sheriff's department that she had been raped by Marvin Gabrion.

[4][3] On June 3, 1997, two days before Gabrion's trial on the charge of rape, Timmerman left the house with her 11-month-old daughter Shannon, telling her family she was going on a date with a man she met at work.

The prosecutor and the judge presiding over the case also received letters in Timmerman's handwriting stating that the rape allegations were fabricated and that she wished to drop the charges against Gabrion.

[4][5] On July 5, 1997, two fishermen found Rachel's body in Oxford Lake chained to cinder blocks and her face wrapped with duct tape.

A search warrant was executed for his residence and keys that matched the padlock used to secure Rachel's body were found at Gabrion's home, along with concrete blocks stained with the same paint as the ones retrieved from the lake.

Gabrion's tent was found there, along with bolt cutters, chain, duct tape, a woman's hair clip, and nipples for a baby bottle.

Gabrion was convicted of social security fraud in July 1998 for his use of Allen's checks and sentenced to five years in federal prison.

The prosecution presented testimony from multiple witnesses who described Gabrion's propensity for violence, including other physical and sexual assaults.

In full view of the jury, Gabrion punched his defense attorney in the face and committed 40 major infractions.

At the Calhoun County Jail,[3][13] Gabrion filed numerous bizarre motions using "abusive and obscene language.

[7][16] During the trial, Gabrion's defense argued that she might have been killed outside Manistee National Forest before being transported into the park to be disposed of.

In his appeal, Gabrion's defense argued that under the Eighth Amendment and the Federal Death Penalty Act, Gabrion was entitled to argue to the jury during the penalty phase of his trial that they should consider any "residual doubt" that he killed Timmerman inside the national forest.

[15]In 2013, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sitting en banc overturned the earlier decision by a three-judge panel and the death penalty was reinstated.

[18][19] The case garnered national attention and was featured on the Investigation Discovery show FBI: Criminal Pursuit[20] as well as Unsolved Mysteries.

[21] Rachel's father and uncle published a book about the case called The Color of Night: A Young Mother, and a Cold-Blooded Killer.