What to Know
- The body of 27-year-old Vanessa Marcotte was found in the woods in Princeton, Massachusetts, on Sunday evening.
- Her mother reported her missing after she didn't return from a run that evening.
- Authorities said that there didn't immediately appear to be any connections between Marcotte's death and that of a Queens woman last week
Authorities asked for the public's help Tuesday as they struggled to find the killer or killers of a New York City Google employee whose body was found in woods near her mother's home in central Massachusetts after she went out for a run and didn't return.
Residents of Princeton, a town of about 3,500 about 40 miles west of Boston, were urged to use caution after Vanessa Marcotte's body was found Sunday -- marking the town's first homicide in three decades.
Marcotte, a 27-year-old account manager at Google, was visiting her mother. Police said they did not know if the attack was random or if Marcotte was targeted.
The killing is similar to that of a New York City woman whose body was found on a path in a Queens park last week. Like Marcotte, 30-year-old Karina Vetrano was killed while running alone during daylight hours in a secluded area. There is no indication the deaths are connected, but NYPD officials said Thursday they were working with Massachusetts authorities to rule out a link.
On their Facebook page Tuesday, the Massachusetts State Police said they have set up an anonymous tip line and urged anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area Sunday afternoon to call police.
"We are asking for the public's help in finding the person or persons who killed Ms. Marcotte," state police wrote. "No tip is inconsequential or irrelevant; no matter what it is, please call the tip line, because it may be valuable to investigators seeking justice for Ms. Marcotte."
Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said an autopsy was being performed to determine the exact cause of death.
"We have a horrible set of facts, a horrible set of circumstances right now," Early said Monday.
Local
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."
Marcotte was a 2011 graduate of Boston University, which also mourned her death. Prof. Steve Quigley said Marcotte was very interested in search engine marketing who "immediately knew that's what she wanted to do" with her career.
