Princeton jogger laid to rest; search continues for killer

LEOMINSTER, Mass. — The jogger who was murdered in Princeton was laid to rest Tuesday morning in her home town of Leominster.

Vanessa Marcotte was remembered as "otherworldy" by her best friend and Boston University roommate Leah Abrahams in the same church where she was baptized.

Abrahams remembered Marcotte as someone who was committed to volunteerism.

"She was so perfect, at times it seemed like she was otherworldly," said Abrahams.

The priest told the crowd he hoped investigators would "not leave another congregation to meet in sorrow" and catch the killer soon.

Monday night, dozens of family and friends gathered for Vanessa Marcotte's wake. The 27-year-old was remembered as friendly, smart and an active and passionate tutor.

Marcotte was jogging less than a mile from her mother's home when she was killed on the afternoon of Aug. 7. Police are looking into the possibility that she was sexually assaulted. FOX25 News has learned Marcotte was partially burned.

The funeral was held at Our Lady of the Lake church in Leominster before she was buried in Westminster.

Marcotte attended Brancroft School in Worcester and went to Boston University for college. She was most recently working for Google in New York City.

The investigation into Marcotte's death is ongoing. Investigators believe the killer is a man who might have been scratched and bruised during the attack.

Jack Levin, a Northeastern University criminologist told FOX25 that, based on the information made public so far, he believes the killer is someone from the area.

"In most cases, people who commit homicide have a comfort zone," Levin said. "That comfort zone is in the neighborhood, in the community where they live."

Levin added that he didn't believe the person who took Marcotte's life was a skilled serial killer.

Police are focusing their investigation on a two-hour time frame on the day Marcotte was killed. In particular, they are interested in if anyone spotted a vehicle parked along the side of Brooks Station Road in Princeton between 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7.

An anonymous tip line has been set up to help find the assailant. Investigators have received more than 600 tips as they work towards finding who took Vanessa from her family and friends.

“The tips need to keep coming, and somebody saw something and doesn't think it's a piece of the puzzle,” Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella said,

Cox Media Group