Another woman killed while jogging: found without clothes and burns on head, feet, hands

THE 27-year-old Google employee was running in broad daylight, and was found without clothes, and burns on her head, feet and hands.

A GOOGLE account manager was killed on Sunday while out for a run near her mother’s home in Princeton, Massachusetts.

Vanessa Marcotte, 27, lived in New York City but in town was visiting her mother for the weekend.

She’d gone out for a run in the early afternoon. Her family reported her missing around 3pm when she didn’t return home as expected, according to Maureen Lynch, administrative assistant at the Princeton Police Department.

Vanessa Marcotte, pictured with her mother.

Her body was found just after 8pm by canine units in a wooded area on Brooks Station Road, the same street where her mother lives. Her body was found less than a kilometre from her mother’s house.

NOW: Investigators searching woods off Brooks Station Rd in Princeton - where they say jogger was murdered. @NECN pic.twitter.com/c02oozwXnt

— Abbey Niezgoda (@AbbeyNiezgoda) August 8, 2016

The death is being investigated as a homicide. An autopsy is underway.

According to WCVB, a source close to the investigation said Marcotte was found without her clothes and had burns on her head, feet, and hands. A source told Fox25 in Boston that investigators were examining the possibility that Marcotte was sexually assaulted and set on fire.

#BREAKING - Source close to invest tells me Vanessa Marcotte found w/o clothes; Burns to head, feet, hands #WCVB pic.twitter.com/5cOHuFburi

— Juli McDonald (@julimcdonald) August 8, 2016

This is the first homicide in Princeton in nearly 30 years, according to the police chief. The town has a small population of 3400.

In a press conference on Monday, Massachusetts District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said “we have a horrible set of facts, a horrible set of circumstance here right now, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure this investigation is carried out, every groundball is run out, every i is dotted, with regards to this.”

Vanessa Marcotte.

He stressed that it was still early in the investigation and that they’re unsure if the act was random. He added that there is “nothing at this point” to connect Marcotte’s killing to the murder last week of Karina Vetrano, who was killed while jogging near her home in Queens, N.Y.

Following Vetrano’s death, a number of people took to social media to say that the victim should not have been out running at night. In contrast, Marcotte was killed while running in broad daylight.

Marcotte moved to New York to take a job with Google.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Marcotte had been at Google since January 2015 and was working as part of the company’s health care division.

“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 spokesman said. “We are deeply shocked and saddened, and our thoughts are with her family and friends.”

Marcotte was also a volunteer, working as a tutor for Tutoring Plus of Cambridge. Her Twitter account reveals her passion for running and raising money for charity:

On August 17th I am running this year's Falmouth Road Race in order to raise funds for Dana Farber and cancer resear…http://t.co/8TqipcuuqZ

— Vanessa Marcotte (@vtmarcotte) July 15, 2014

I'm running the Falmouth Road Race for Children's Hospital Please Help Me Reach $1000 Donation http://t.co/ygpHYLH4AX

— Vanessa Marcotte (@vtmarcotte) July 16, 2013

Marcotte was originally from Leominster, Massachusetts, which is about 20 minutes north of Princeton, where her mother now lives. She graduated with honours in 2011 from Boston University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in communications.

Vanessa Marcotte.

Upon graduating, she worked at an online marketing software start-up in Boston called WordStream.

Larry Kim, founder of WordStream, said he’s in disbelief over the news.

“I never envisioned this outcome [for her],” Kim told CNNMoney.

He said that Marcotte joined the team when it had less than 15 people and stayed there in various customer service roles for just under two years.

“She was just a delightful person,” he said, characterising her as “bright,” “ambitious” and “caring.”

Boston University’s executive director of media relations, Colin Riley, sent an email statement to CNNMoney expressing condolences for her loved ones.

“We’re so terribly sad for her family and friends. They’re in our thoughts and prayers.”

WHDH is reporting that Marcotte’s boyfriend is currently in Australia.

Sources: Vanessa Marcotte's boyfriend NOT considered a suspect out of the country in #Australia #7News #Princeton

— Cheryl Fiandaca (@CherylFiandaca) August 8, 2016

With Fox News and AP