Authorities: New York City Woman Killed While Jogging In Massachusetts
PRINCETON, Mass. (CBSNewYork/CBS Boston) -- A homicide investigation was under way in Massachusetts Monday, after a New York City woman was killed while jogging in a wooded area.
Police found the body of Vanessa Marcotte, 27, on Sunday night in Princeton, Massachusetts – about an hour and a half drive west of Boston.
Her family reported her missing after she went jogging alone on a wooded road and never returned.
""We're less than 24 hours into the investigation," said Worcester County, Massachusetts, District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. "We do believe this is a homicide. We cannot tell whether or not this was a random act at this point, so we're asking the residents of Princeton -- the surrounding areas -- to be vigilant."
Coverage From CBS Boston:
Marcotte is originally from Leominster, Massachusetts, outside Boston. She lived in New York City and worked as an account manager for Google.
"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," a spokesperson for Google said in a written statement. "We are deeply shocked and saddened, and our thoughts are with her family and friends."
Marcotte graduated from Boston University in 2011. She was visiting her mother at the time of her death.
Investigators said Marcotte's body was found Sunday night by a K9 police dog in a wooded area about a half-mile from her mother's home, CBS Boston reported. She was last seen on Brooks Station Road in Princeton during the afternoon hours.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, there were signs of sexual assault, and reports of burn marks on M Marcotte's body.
"We cannot tell whether or not this was a random act at this point, so we're asking the residents of Princeton, the surrounding areas, to be vigilant," Early said.
Investigators said Marcotte was killed sometime between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Investigators are urging residents to be aware of their surroundings.
Anyone with information is urged to call Massachusetts State Police.
In a similar case last week in New York, Karina Vetrano, 30, was found murdered while jogging in the weedy Spring Creek federal park in Howard Beach, Queens. There is no apparent connection between the two cases, but investigators will be comparing notes.
The two deaths have had a deep impact on some New Yorkers.
At a community meeting in Queens, the NYPD was asked if the deaths of Vetrano and Marcotte could somehow be connected.
"We don't believe there's a connection. With that said we are gonna continue to share notes and compare evidence as both cases progress," Dep. Chief Michael Kemper said.
The Marcotte family declined to comment and asked for privacy when approached by WBZ-TV, CBS4 in Boston.
