Vanessa Marcotte murder suspect Angelo Colon-Ortiz pleads guilty
WORCESTER – Angelo Colon-Ortiz pleaded guilty Wednesday in the killing of Vanessa Marcotte.
Marcotte, a 27-year-old Google employee from New York, was visiting her mother in Princeton in August 2016 when she failed to return from a run. Her body was found hours later naked and burned off Brooks Station Road, just a half mile from her mother's home.
Colon-Ortiz was arrested several months later and charged with first degree murder and unarmed robbery. As part of the plea agreement, the murder charge was reduced to second degree.
"Mr. Colon-Ortiz elected to plead guilty to accept responsibility for his past actions," defense attorney Eduardo Masferrer said.
Prosecutors said Colon-Ortiz was working as a delivery driver at the time of Marcotte's death.
Colon-Ortiz faces a 20-year prison sentence for the robbery and 25 years to life in prison for second degree murder.
"He's remorseful for his action with Ms. Marcotte on August 6, that his actions caused her death," Masferrer said, "and his actions caused so much suffering."
Family members in the courtroom sobbed as prosecutors presented evidence to the judge. An autopsy showed Marcotte was strangled and suffered blunt force trauma.
Blood was found under Marcotte's fingernails and that DNA evidence allegedly linked Colon-Ortiz to the murder.
The trial had been expected to begin in December.
Before the judge accepted the plea, family members gave a series of victim impact statements.
Steve Therien, Marcotte's uncle, said her father died just 10 days ago. Vanessa was his only child.
"Let's keep this monster off the streets... I'll be dead long before he gets a parole hearing," Marcotte's father said, according to Therien.
"I think having to endure this for so long is really what led him to his death," said Ashley McNiff of the Vanessa Marcotte Foundation. "I know he's with us today and he's happy he's finally behind bars, but it took too much out of him."
Rossana Marcotte, Vanessa's mother, said she hopes Colon-Ortiz stays in prison for the rest of his life.
Marcotte's aunt choked back tears as she addressed the courtroom. "She was a living, vibrant human being with hopes and dreams like us," she said. "I lost something that day."
Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early issued a statement following the plea hearing.
"The completion of this case is the result of the tireless and committed work of the Massachusetts State Police, Princeton Police and Assistant District Attorneys who were involved in the investigation and prosecution of Vanessa's killer," Early said. "We know nothing can bring Vanessa back, but we know, through the meticulous work of the prosecutors and investigators involved, justice will be served, and the plea allows Vanessa's family to move on from this tragedy."
Early said the key break in the case came when a state trooper spotted a dark SUV in Worcester and noticed the driver and vehicle matched the description in the case. The trooper wrote the license plate number on his hand, and police were later able to obtain Colon-Ortiz's DNA.
Following Marcotte's death, family members formed the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation, which aims to educate and protect women. Since it was formed, the foundation has trained thousands of women through self-defense workshops.
"It's been a really long six years for us and I think being in there was awful having to relive the day," McNiff said.
The foundation has also held workshops on violence prevention, runner safety, boundary setting, and healthy relationships.
"Every 68 seconds a person is assaulted in the United States, and one in ten girls have experienced harassment," foundation co-founders Caroline Tocci and Ashley McNiff said in a statement. "Vanessa would have wanted us to take action. She'd be proud of what we're accomplishing in her honor to make the world a safer place."
