PRINCETON, Mass. — Authorities investigating the death of a New York City woman killed while out running near her mother’s Massachusetts home last summer now have a DNA profile of a person of interest, a district attorney said Thursday.
Based on the profile and tips from the public, the suspect in the slaying of Vanessa Marcotte is a Hispanic or Latino man, about 30 years old, with light- to medium-toned skin, an athletic build and is either balding or has short hair, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said during a news conference.
“There are people that have perceptions, for example, of what that person might have looked like, what race he might be, we’re kind of narrowing this down, tailoring this to this specific person that we’re looking for,” Early said.
He did not say how the DNA was recovered, but said it has been compared to national criminal DNA databases without success.
“I’m here today to urge the public, if you think you have something, please,” Early said.
Marcotte, 27, grew up in nearby Leominster and worked as an account manager for Google in New York. She was killed Aug. 7 while visiting her mother in the small town of Princeton in central Massachusetts.
Her family reported her missing after she went jogging alone on a wooded road and never returned. Marcotte’s body was found in woods about a half-mile from her mother’s home.
Early said the suspect would have had scratches on his face, neck, hands and arms after the attack. He said investigators have received over 1,300 tips in the case.
“It takes a little while,” Early said. “This isn’t ‘CSI,’ it’s not ‘Law and Order.’ As much as we’d like to get things back in a couple hours, it takes some time.”
Authorities previously said the suspect was driving a dark-colored SUV.
Early urged anyone who knows someone who fits the description to call police.
