Investigators have released the name of the 27-year-old who was reported missing in Princeton, saying they believe she was killed and that they’ve launched a homicide investigation.
Vanessa Marcotte, originally from Leominster, was identified at a press conference at Princeton Town Hall as the woman who was missing. District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Marcotte was out for a walk between 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday on Brooks Station Road when she was reported missing by her family.
This is the woman police say was murdered while jogging in the area of Brooks Station Road in Princeton. #Wbz pic.twitter.com/I8IeqF8oJ5
— Anna Meiler (@AnnaMeiler) August 8, 2016
Authorities would not release details about how Marcotte was found, saying that what investigators observed led them to believe it was a homicide. An autopsy will be performed, Early said.
“We have a horrible set of facts, horrible circumstance,” said Early, though he would not specify what injuries Marcotte sustained.
Marcotte’s body was found in the woods about a half mile from her mother’s home on Brooks Station Road around 8:20 p.m.
Early urged the public to be cautious.
“We don’t know if this was a random act,” Early said. “We are asking residents of Princeton and surrounding areas to use an abundance of caution.”
Princeton Police Chief Michelle Powers also urged residents to be careful.
“We are concerned about the safety of our town residents and visitors that enter our town,” Powers said. “Pay attention to surroundings. If you see anything suspicious or out of place, contact police.”
Early said he could not release any information regarding a suspect or suspects at this time.
Marcotte was living in New York City and working as an account manager for Google. She was visiting her mother in Princeton before her death. Her LinkedIn page shows she’s graduated from Boston University in 2011 and the Bancroft School in Worcester in 2007.
Authorities are looking for the public’s help and asking anyone who was in the area or saw anything suspicious on Sunday to call the Massachusetts State Police tip line at 508-453-7589, the state police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s office at 508-832-9124, or the Princeton police at 978-464-2928.
