Police have DNA, suspect profile in Google exec murder

The beautiful 27-year-old was murdered after going for a run near her mother’s home

Police announced a major development in the Vanessa Marcotte murder investigation on Thursday, revealing that they have DNA of the suspected killer and have built a suspect profile.

Marcotte, a 27-year-old Google executive who lived in New York City, was visiting her mother in Princeton, Massachusetts in August when she was fatally attacked while out for a jog. According to Fox 25 Boston, Marcotte’s hands and feet had burns on them when her body was recovered, and investigators speculated the killer may have done this to get rid of evidence.

On Thursday, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. announced that investigators have identified a person of interest in the apparent murder, based on DNA recovered from the crime scene.

At a news conference, Early reportedly said that the recovered DNA did not match any individuals in the convicted felon database, but that investigators believe the suspect is a Hispanic man in his 30s with an athletic build. He is believed to have had short or no hair at the time of the murder, and may have scratches on his head and/or upper body.

The District Attorney appealed to the pubic for help in locating the suspect, but said anyone who knows or encounters someone who fits the description should call the Massachusetts State Police tip line at 508-453-7589, and avoid approaching the suspect.

Marcotte was murdered the same week that Karina Vetrano of Queens was found dead after going out for a jog in a park near her Howard Beach home. A suspect in Vetrano’s murder was apprehended earlier this month, as Vetrano’s grieving family has been campaigning to the state of New York to allow familial DNA testing. A bill passed the New York Senate the same week man was arrested for Vetrano’s murder.

Only a few U.S. states legally permit familial DNA testing, and Massachusetts is not currently among them.

 

Photo: Handout