A Massachusetts delivery driver has pleaded guilty to charges for strangling and killing a Google employee who was out for a walk while visiting family.
Angelo Colon-Ortiz had originally pleaded not guilty to charges related to Vanessa Marcotte’s Aug. 7, 2016, death, but changed course on Wednesday when he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and unarmed robbery, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said in a Monday press release.
Colon-Ortiz, 36, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the unarmed robbery charge, and sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder. He will be eligible for parole after 45 years.
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Angelo Colon-Ortiz, center, listens to his attorney Edward Ryan, Jr., left, speak during his arraignment in connection with the assault and murder of Vanessa Marcotte in Princeton, Massachusetts, at the Leominster District Court in Leominster, Massachusetts, on April 18, 2017. (Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe via AP, File)
Eduardo Masferrer, Colon-Ortiz’s attorney, said his client had "elected to plead guilty to accept responsibility for his past actions," CBS Boston reported.
According to officials, 27-year-old Marcotte was visiting her family in Princeton, Massachusetts, in early August 2016 from New York City, where she worked for Google.
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State Police walk down the street after searching through the woods for evidence after a woman visiting her mother was found slain, Aug. 9, 2016 in Princeton, Massachusetts. (The Associated Press)
She went for a walk on Aug. 7, 2016, and never returned home. Hours later, hour body was discovered in a wooded area nearby, police and officials said.
The Associated Press reported that Marcotte’s body was located with burn marks and only partially clothed. She reportedly showed signs of a struggle, and officials determined she was strangled.
This undated driver license photo released by the Worcester County District Attorney's Office shows Vanessa Marcotte. (Worcester County District Attorney's Office via AP, File)
A motive was not specified in court, according to the report.
After his capture, investigators found traces of Colon-Ortiz’s DNA under Marcotte’s fingernails. Defense attorneys later argued that the DNA samples were not obtained legally, but a judge rejected their effort.
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The man, who worked as a delivery driver in the area, pleaded not guilty after his arrest in April 2017. He was also reportedly charged with attempted rape, which was not included in the plea deal.
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