Police In Massachusetts Urge Caution After NYC Google Employee Found Dead

PRINCETON, Mass. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Residents of a small Massachusetts town are being urged to take caution after a New York City Google employee visiting her mother was found slain in the woods after going out for a weekend jog.

Police found the body of Vanessa Marcotte Sunday night about a half-mile from her mother's home in the town of Princeton, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Monday. She was reported missing Sunday after she didn't return home.

The 27-year-old's death appears to be a homicide and an autopsy was set to determine the exact cause, Early said.

"We have a horrible set of facts; a horrible set of circumstances right now,'' he said.

There are reports that she was naked and there were burns on her hand and feet and signs of sexual assault, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.

Police said they don't know if the attack was random. At a Monday news conference, authorities repeatedly urged the public to use caution and report any suspicious activity.

"We are concerned about the safety of our town residents and visitors that enter our town,'' Princeton Police Chief Michele Powers said. "We would ask people to pay attention to their surroundings.''

Authorities said her death was the first homicide in the small town of Princeton in decades. Town Manager Nina Nizarian told WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron the community is doing the best they can.

"As anyone can imagine at a time like this, everyone needs the appropriate distance to be able to grieve and to be able to go through their own process," Nizarian said.

Meanwhile, a candlelight vigil was held in Princeton, Massachusetts for Marcotte Tuesday night.

Marcotte is originally from Leominster, Massachusetts, outside Boston. She lived in New York City and worked as an account manager for Google.

In a statement Monday, Google said it is "deeply shocked and saddened.''

"Vanessa Marcotte was a much loved member of the Google team, working in our New York office for the last year and a half, and known for her ubiquitous smile, passion for volunteer work and love of Boston sports,'' the company said.

Employees at the company were notified by email of Marcotte's death.

"It was really really devastating to think it could happen so close, it could happen to anyone it can happen anywhere any time of day," one employee who worked in the same building as Marcotte said.

Marcotte's murder happened just five days after 30-year-old Karina Vetrano was killed after going out for a jog in Howard Beach, Queens.

Police said Vetrano was found strangled and possibly sexually assaulted last Tuesday in the Spring Creek federal park land near the Belt Parkway.

Police are still hunting for her killer, but investigators don't believe the two cases are connected.

"With that said, we are going to continue to share notes and compare evidence as both cases progress," NYPD Deputy Chief Michael Kemper said at a community meeting in Howard Beach Monday night.

The similarities between the two cases have rattled many New Yorkers.

Massachusetts State Police are asking for help from the public in solving the Marcotte case. They have set up a tip line for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious, at (508) 453-7589.

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