DA: Jogger found slain in Mass. woods fought killer
PRINCETON, Mass. -- Investigators in Massachusetts say they believe slain jogger Vanessa Marcotte tried to fight off her killer.
Marcotte, a 27-year-old New York City Google account manager, was found dead Sunday night hours after she went for a run about a half mile from her mother's home in Princeton, a rural town of 3,500 residents about 60 miles west of Boston. Marcotte's body was found in a wooded area, and sources tell CBS Boston she was naked and had been burned.
Police say they've received hundreds of tips but don't have any suspects or know if she was targeted or attacked at random.
Thursday, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. issued another plea to the public for information. Early said investigators believe Marcotte's assailant to be a man, and that Marcotte may have scratched or bruised him during a struggle. Early asked anyone who saw a male with fresh cuts, bruises or scrapes early this week in the area to contact them.
Early also announced during the brief press conference that investigators have narrowed their timeline. Previously, Princeton and state police had focused on the hours between 1 p.m. Sunday -- when Marcotte left her mother's house -- and 4 p.m. that day. Now, Early said, investigators have zeroed in on the time span between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
He asked anyone who had seen any vehicles driving or parked on Brooks Station Road, near the location where Marcotte's body was found, to come forward.
"We're still approaching this from every angle. We don't know if this was a random act," Early said Wednesday. "We're considering anyone and everyone who could have committed this crime."
Police have urged residents in the area to be cautious.
Marcotte traveled from New York to Princeton frequently to visit her family. She grew up in nearby Leominster, attended the Bancroft School in Worcester and graduated from Boston University in 2011.
Marcotte's death is similar to that of a New York City woman killed while on a run through a Queens park last week. Like Marcotte, 30-year-old Karina Vetrano was killed while running alone during daylight hours in a secluded area. There is no indication the deaths are connected, but Early has said investigators "aren't ruling anything out."
Anyone with information is asked to call the Massachusetts State Police tipline at 508-453-7589.