Mass. Police Not Ruling Out Connection Between Two Murdered Joggers

NEW YORK, NY — Police in Massachusetts say they found the body of a New York City resident who was reported missing by her mother over the weekend. Vanessa Marcotte was found dead Sunday at 8:20 p.m. in a wooded area in Princeton, Massachusetts.

Marcotte, 27, who worked at Google's NYC headquarters in Chelsea, had gone out for a jog Sunday afternoon while on a visit home, reported CBS Boston. A police dog found Marcotte's body a half a mile from her mother's home. She had left for the jog at about 1 p.m.

Juli McDonald, a reporter with WCVB in Boston, reported Marcotte was found without clothes and had burns to her head, feet and hands.

The crime brought up memories of Karina Vetrano, the female jogger in Queens who was sexually assaulted and murdered last week. Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. was asked in a Tuesday press conference if there could be a connection. He said they haven't ruled anything out, but they haven't sent investigators to New York City.

"Please use an abundance of caution, we don’t know if this is a random act. We’re asking you to be very careful," Early said in a press conference Monday. "Right now we have a very active investigation going on, you can’t be too careful."

Authorities believe Marcotte was murdered sometime between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., reports the Boston Globe.

Marcotte, originally from Leominster, Massachusetts, was working as a healthcare account manager at Google. She had graduated from Bancroft School in Worcester, Massachusetts according to her LinkedIn.

"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 Google spokesperson said in a statement. "We are deeply shocked and saddened, and our thoughts are with her family and friends."

Photo Credit: Mass. State Police