PRINCETON, MASS. (WHDH) - A New York City woman’s body was found in the woods in Princeton Sunday night and police said they are investigating her death as a homicide.
Police launched a search Sunday night after 27-year-old Vanessa Marcotte was reported missing by her family. Marcotte was jogging along Brook Station Road Sunday at around 1 p.m. and never came home. Her family reported her missing at around 4 p.m.
Marcotte’s body was found at around 8:20 p.m. in a wooded area off off Brook Station Road. Sources told 7News her body had burns to her head, hands and feet.
Marcotte, who grew up in Leominster, was about a half-mile from her mother’s house when she disappeared. Officials said she was in the area visiting family.
Marcotte worked as an account manager for Google in New York City and graduated with honors from Boston University in 2011. Before working for Google, Marcotte was hired right after graduation by an Internet marketing company called WordStream. Her former boss, Larry Kim, described her enthusiastic and cheerful.
“Vanessa had such great potential and I knew she was going to go very far in her career because she was so smart and so ambitious and I’m just so sorry that this happened,” said a tearful Kim. “Working at a small company, it’s kind of like a family and people are very upset and angry about what happened.”
Google released a statement Monday:
“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. We are deeply shocked and saddened, and our thoughts are with her family and friends.”
The Bancroft School in Worcester, where Marcotte attended high school, also released a statement:
“As a student at Bancroft from 2003 through 2007, Vanessa was loved and respected by classmates and faculty alike. This is a great loss for our community. We offer prayers and sympathy to all of Vanessa’s family and friends.”
Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said he does not know if this was a random act. He asked residents to use “an abundance of caution.” Officials said this is the first murder in Princeton in almost 30 years.
“Stuff doesn’t happen in Princeton,” said resident Terry Hart. “We’re just shocked. Everyone’s shocked.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact State Police at 508-453-7589.
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