Cops search for SUV in Vanessa Marcotte case

PRINCETON, Mass. -- Police investigating the death of a New York City woman killed while out running near her mother’s Massachusetts home are looking for an SUV seen near where her body was found.

Vanessa Marcotte, 27, was killed Aug. 7 while visiting her mother in Princeton, a small town in central Massachusetts. Her body was found in woods a half-mile from her mother’s home.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Wednesday police are seeking a dark-colored SUV seen by witnesses parked on Brooks Station Road around the time Marcotte was killed. It was parked near where the woman’s body was found, Early said. No further details of the SUV have been provided.

Investigators believe Marcotte was attacked by a man and may have injured him in a struggle. The suspect may have had scratches or injuries in the days following the attack, police have said.

CBS Boston reports her body was found naked and burned.

Marcotte grew up in Leominster and had been working as an account manager for Mountain View, California-based Google in New York.

More than 1,000 tips have been received by law enforcement agencies, the station reports.