A 27-year-old woman who worked for Google appears to have been killed in broad daylight Sunday near her mother’s home in Princeton, Massachusetts, officials said.
Vanessa Marcotte, who lived in New York City, went out for a jog Sunday in the town of Princeton, about 60 miles west of Boston, and never returned, said Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.
Her body was found Sunday night in a wooded area about half a mile from her mother’s home, he said.
The preliminary investigation shows Marcotte was murdered, Early said, and investigators are focusing on a time frame of 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
An autopsy is pending, he said, and it is not clear whether it was a random act, he said.
Marcotte, a Boston University graduate, was an account manager at Google.
A Google representative said, “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. We are deeply shocked and saddened, and our thoughts are with her family and friends.”
Her alma mater paid tribute to her as well. “We’re so terribly sad for her family and friends,” said Colin Riley, the executive director of media relations at Boston University. “They’re in our thoughts and prayers.”
Lawmakers to Address Slain Jogger Investigation at NYC Church NYC Cops Searching for Answers After 30-Year-Old Woman Killed While Jogging in QueensFive days before Marcotte's death, another New York City resident, 30-year-old Karina Vetrano, was murdered while on an evening jog in the city’s borough of Queens. No arrests have been made in Vetrano's death.
Early said today there nothing at this point to connect the Massachusetts case to the New York case.
He and Princeton Chief of Police Michele Powers today urged residents to use caution and report anything suspicious to police.