Worcester Man Pleads Guilty In 2016 Vanessa Marcotte Murder

WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester man will likely spend the rest of his life in state prison for his role in the 2016 killing of Vanessa Marcotte in Princeton.

Angelo Colon-Ortiz, 36, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of second-degree murder and unarmed robbery. He was then sentenced to life on the murder charge and 20 years on the robbery charge. He won't be eligible for parole for 45 years, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said.

Marcotte was visiting family in Princeton on Aug. 7, 2016, when she went out for a walk but never returned home. The 27-year-old's body was found in the woods that evening.

After her killing, police began searching for an SUV that a passerby had seen stopped along a road near where Marcotte's body was found. State police found the vehicle, which belonged to Colon-Ortiz, in Worcester, and later matched his DNA to the crime scene, Early said.

“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 in a news release. “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.”