Dad of Google manager, 27, appeals to public to help find man who stripped naked, raped, killed and set daughter on fire
John Marcotte, 64, has described his torment over his only child's death who he calls the 'best kid in the world'
THE dad of a Google executive who was stripped naked, raped, murdered and burned after going jogging near her mum's home in Massachusetts has spoken out.
John Marcotte, 64, has described his torment over his only child's death and has appealed to the public to help catch her killer.
John said: "How can anything ever be alright again when your only child has been horribly murdered?"
"I ask people to pray that whoever did this is caught. She was the best kid in the world. Graduated top of her class," he added.
Vanessa Marcotte was last seen at 1pm on Sunday in Princeton, Massachusetts when she went for a run.
Cops with sniffer dogs found her body at 8.20pm the same day about half a mile from her mum's house in what they described as a "horrible set of circumstances".
The 27-year-old was discovered with burns on her hands and feet and police were investigating a sexual assault.
Massachusetts State Police have now launched a homicide investigation and currently do not know if it was a random attack or not.
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John said there was nobody in his daughter's life who would wish to harm her: "She was 100 per cent into her job. She graduated top of her class. She knew how smart she was."
Speaking to the he expressed his gratitude to law enforcement saying: "If you could understand what the State Police have told us there's not one negative note [about Vanessa].
"They're going above and beyond what they have to to find this person. They've been in constant contact with us, the District Attorney, everybody, constantly.
"They've kept us in the loop and offered all sorts of assistance."
Princeton Police Chief Michelle Powers said, “We are concerned about the safety of our town residents and the visitors that enter our town.
"We would ask people to pay attention to their surroundings.
"If you see anything suspicious or out of place, please contact the Princeton Police Department or the Massachusetts State Police.
"If you’ve seen anything in the past 24 hours that appeared suspicious or out of the ordinary, please contact us.”
Marcotte worked for Google in New York City having graduated from Boston University in 2011.
Spokesman for the university Colin Riley told F0X25: "We're so terribly sad for her family and friends.
They're in our thoughts and prayers."
She had worked for Google for nearly two years and her employer released a statement saying: "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."
Before she began working for the tech giant the 27-year-old worked in marketing for Vistaprint.
Vistaprint said in a statement: “We are shocked and heartbroken to hear the news about Vanessa.
"She was always incredibly friendly and positive, and her smart, creative and innovative approach to work made a huge impact here at Vistaprint.
"She truly cared about those around her and always made an effort to forge strong relationships.
";Our thoughts are with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
While at university she wrote a blog in which she said: "I am a Public Relations major with an extreme interest in all things Internet-savvy.
"To get a little technical, I am passionate about business strategies like SEO, Analytics and Inbound Marketing (just to name a few) and hope to develop these skills further and make them a focus in my future career."
The rural town of Princeton has about 3,500 residents and is 40 miles west of Boston.
DA Early says Marcotte grew up in nearby Leominster.
The news comes just days after a woman was murdered jogging through Queens in New York City.
Karina Vetrano, 30, was found dead with her jogging pants pulled down to her knees after being reported missing by her retired-firefighter father when she didn’t return from her regular 5pm run.
Early said in the press conference there was "nothing at this point" connecting the two deaths.
Cops in New York are still investigating Vetrano's murder which sparked arguments on social media about her choice of clothing.
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