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Arrest Made In Google Exec's Murder Case

DNA evidence lead police to Vanessa Marcotte's accused killer

Vanessa Marcotte

Credit: Courtesy of The Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation

31-year-old Angelo Colon-Ortiz was arrested this morning in connection to the murder of Google executive, Vanessa Marcotte, 27. The Boston University graduate and avid jogger did not return after a run near her mother’s Princeton, Massachusetts home. Her naked and burned body was found on August 7, 2016. Vanessa had been raped and strangled, her hands, feet, and head burned. Police were able to obtain DNA from the victim’s body and cell phone because she had fought her attacker. If she hadn’t struggled, Colon-Ortiz may never have been found. Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said at a press conference this morning, “We got him.” Colon-Ortiz is being held on $1 million bail at Millbury’s state police barracks. The arrest followed a state trooper’s spotting Colon-Ortiz in a dark SUV. Ortiz voluntarily provided a saliva sample containing DNA, and the positive match came back Friday, and the suspect was picked up early Saturday morning. Colon-Ortiz was jailed previously on aggravated assault, and battery and aggravated assault with intent to rape charges. District Attorney Early anticipates that in in this case, Colon-Ortiz will most likely be charged with murder. Vanessa’s best friend since the fourth grade, Ashley McNiff is also a runner, and is planning to run the 2017 Boston Marathon on Sunday, April 17th in Vanessa’s honor as a symbolic demonstration of strength. Ashley was quoted in The Boston Globe as saying, “I’m not going to let what happened dictate my life.” This bold sentiment is reflected in The Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation, an organization founded in Vanessa’s name to promote women’s empowerment.

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