Murder Of Female College Student Shocks Dutchess County

HYDE PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A shocking murder has stunned a quiet northern suburb.

A young college student left a party, and the next day was found dead on the side of a road.

On Tuesday police were going to great lengths to catch her killer, reports CBS 2's Tony Aiello.

Lindsay McGarril has lost her best friend, Kate Filiberti, a talented former gymnast, a lovely girl with a big smile and a generous spirit.

"Unimaginable. Every day I wake up and I want it to be a nightmare. You think that it's not possible that this could ever happen," McGarril said. "She had the greatest heart. She would do anything for her friends. She was just such an amazing person."

On Tuesday police were out searching for clues near the spot where Filiberti was found dead Saturday afternoon.

She was taken in an act of violence that has shaken this quiet Dutchess County town.

"I know there is a lot of anxiety in the community, and I understand that," Hyde Park Police Chief Charles Broe said.

Chief Broe said there just wasn't much he could release on Tuesday.

Friends of Filiberti, who was a freshman at Dutchess Community College, said she'd argued with a male acquaintance and left a party Friday night. She started walking home, but never made it.

A homemade cross marks the spot where her body was found the next day -- just a mile from the police station.

"We're really going in every direction right now. We're collecting evidence. We're doing numerous interviews. We're leaving no stone unturned as far as the investigation is concerned," Dutchess County Sheriff's Office Lt. John Watterson said.

Police said there is a strong technology angle to their investigation as well. They're checking cell phone and text message records, along with Facebook status updates.

Losing a friend so suddenly, McGarril said she's already a changed person.

"I don't want to take things for granted. In a matter of seconds everything can change," she said.

It's a painful lesson from a painful loss.

Filiberti's family will announce funeral arrangements on Thursday.

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