BU Grad Found Dead After Jog in Central Mass.

WORCESTER COUNTY, MA — A 27-year-old jogger discovered dead outside a Central Massachusetts town Sunday was reportedly found naked and with burns on her body, according to multiple news outlets citing sources close to the investigation.

Vanessa Marcotte, an employee at Google's New York City office and Boston University alumna, went missing during a jog while visiting her mother in Princeton. Authorities on Monday are calling her death a murder.

A K-9 police dog found Marcotte's body about a half-mile from her mother's home Sunday night, and investigators say she was last seen on Brooks Station Road that afternoon. Authorities believe Marcotte was murdered between 1 and 4 p.m., reports the Boston Globe.

Subsequent news reports from FOX 25, WHDH 7News and WCVB claim Marcotte was found naked, with burns on her head and feet, according to sources close to the investigation.

Little is known about the motive or other details behind the apparent murder, according to Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr., who called for "an abundance of caution."

"We don’t know if this is a random act. We’re asking you to be very careful," he said in a press conference Monday. "Right now we have a very active investigation going on."

Marcotte, originally from Leominster, was living in New York City, where she has worked as an account manager at Google for the past 18 months. She graduated from Bancroft School in Worcester, according to her LinkedIn. The site says she graduated from the Boston University College of Communication in 2011.

Google released a statement on her death late Monday, saying:

"Vanessa Marcotte was a much loved member of the Google team... 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."

>> Photo courtesy WHDH 7News

>> Alison Bauter, Patch staff, contributed to this report