The woman killed while jogging in Princeton on Sunday struggled with her assailant and may have injured him, according to authorities.

Vanessa Marcotte was killed while jogging near her mother’s home in Sunday afternoon. The 27-year-old Google employee, who originally hailed from Massachusetts, was visiting the area from New York City last weekend.

“We believe that there was a struggle between Vanessa and her killer that may have resulted in her killer receiving injuries,” Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. These could include scratches, scrapes, and bruises, he said.

Early said that Marcotte’s attacker was a man, and asked that anyone who saw a man with the described injuries contact the Massachusetts State Police tip line at 508-453-7589.


Marcotte disappeared between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m, authorities said. Her body was found in a wooded area later that evening, just a half-mile from her mother’s house.

The murder has rattled the small town of about 3,000 people, which is known as a safe and quiet community. A town official said he didn’t remember a single homicide that had occurred in the three decades he’s lived there.

Officials cautioned the community to be vigilant earlier this week, and said authorities did not know whether or not the attack was random.

“We are concerned about the safety of our town residents and the visitors,” Princeton Police Chief Michele Powers said during a press conference Monday. “Pay attention to your surroundings.”