Let us remember Karina
Vetrano who was murdered on August 2, 2016 and do not forget her on her
birthday on July 12. Let us pray for the victim and their family and hear from her parents.
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Karina Vetrano, 30, was
raped and strangled as she ran through Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach. (Instagram)
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Karina Vetrano (July 12, 1986 – August
2, 2016) was a 30-year-old American woman who was attacked and murdered while
jogging in Spring Creek Park in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New
York City The case, which attracted national media attention, went unsolved
for nearly six months. A suspect, Chanel Lewis, was arrested and charged with
her murder in February 2017 after being linked by DNA evidence.
INTERNET
SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Karina_Vetrano
Background
Karina Anne Vetrano was born July 12,
1986, in New York to Phillip and Cathie Vetrano. She had one sister. Her
father, an New York City Fire Department
retiree, was one of the first responders at Ground Zero after the September 11 attacks. She attended Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens and
graduated from St. John's University with a
Master's Degree in speech pathology. An aspiring writer, she
appeared in a 2013 short film inspired by her writings and directed by her
screenwriter friend Petros Georgiadis. She lived in the same Queens
neighborhood as her parents and worked as a caterer at a local restaurant.
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Murder
On August 2,
2016, in the late afternoon, Vetrano went for a run in Spring Creek Park, less
than a block away from her home. She ran alone, despite the expressed concerns
of her father, her usual running partner, who was suffering from a back injury.
She was last seen alive after 5 p.m, just before she entered the park.
After she
failed to return calls and texts, Vetrano's father notified a neighbor, an NYPD police chief, who launched a
search. Around 11 p.m. her father found her body face-down about 15 feet off
the trail. Partially naked, her body was covered with scratches and bruises.
There was also evidence that she was sexually assaulted. An autopsy the next
day confirmed that Vetrano had died of strangulation, and her death was ruled a
homicide. Detectives said it appeared that Vetrano had been attacked hit in the
back of the head with a rock. Vetrano then put up a "ferocious fight"
against her attacker, biting him so hard her teeth cracked. Her hands were
found clutching grass from when she was dragged off the trail. She had been
strangled so tightly a hand-print was found on her neck. The DNA of her
attacker was also found under her fingernails, on her back, and on her phone,
which was found thrown in the weeds several feet away.
Police
offered a $35,000 reward for information leading up to the arrest of her
killer.
Despite the
extradition of DNA from the crime scene, it failed to produce any leads, even
after being run through local and national databases. Over 600 DNA samples were
examined over the course of the investigation, with none coming up a positive
match. Additionally, the NYPD checked over 1,700 investigative reports and
followed over 250 leads.
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A funeral is
set for noon at St. Helen’s Church in Howard Beach for Karina Vetrano. Say a
prayer for her family.
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Investigation and media coverage
On August 7,
less than a week after Vetrano's murder, another New York City resident,
27-year-old Vanessa Marcotte, was found slain on a
rural stretch of road in Princeton, Massachusetts. Marcotte was
also killed during a jog, and much of the news reporting on the crime compared
it to Vetrano's murder. However, DNA and other evidence proved the murders to
have been committed by different men. Vetrano and Marcotte's deaths has led to
narratives and discussions about the safety of women who exercise alone.
On August 31,
police released a sketch of a "person of interest", a man who had
been seen in near Spring Creek around the time Vetrano was killed. A utility
worker had seen the man coming out of the weeds and running on a path by Belt
Parkway. On September 12, the TV show Crime
Watch Daily released a home surveillance video of Vetrano running near
Spring Creek Park, minutes before she was killed. It is the last footage of her
alive.
In December
2016, the FBI and the NYPD developed and shared a suspect profile of who may
have killed Vetrano.
A GoFundMe page
created by Vetrano's family, originally meant as a $250,000 reward fund for
anyone with information about the killer, reached over $290,000, with the extra
money to be donated to charity. Following the murder, the family had become
outspoken proponents for familial DNA testing, pushing lawmakers to pass laws
to authorize use of the practice. Despite the homicide being solved without it,
they continue to advocate its benefits.
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In case you
missed it over the weekend - an arrest in the death of Karina Vetrano - killed
while jogging in Howard Beach. Tonight @5 we speak to the suspects family who
says 20 year old Chanel Lewis is innocent. ABC7NY
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Arrest in the case
On February
4, 2017, the police announced that a suspect in the strangulation death of
Karina Vetrano had been taken into questioning, later adding that Chanel R.
Lewis, a 20-year-old Brooklyn resident, was placed under arrest and charged with
one count of second-degree murder.
Lewis, who
was unemployed, lived with his mother, two sisters and their children in a
low-income housing project in East New York, less than 3 miles away from
the park where he killed Vetrano. His DNA matched the genetic material found at
the crime scene. As well, Lewis gave self-incriminating statements to police,
including describing a peculiar puddle of muddy water that detectives had seen
near Vetrano's body. Although he had no criminal record, he reportedly had a
"hatred for women" and once told a teacher's aide he wanted to
"stab all the girls" at his school several years earlier. He had been
taken into protective custody numerous times and was described as a loner and
mentally unstable. A neighbor who lived near the family had told reporters that
he "terrorized" people in the neighborhood. It had been speculated
that the attack may have been racially motivated, as Lewis, who is black,
refused to speak to white detectives during the interrogation, and didn't
confess until after he asked to speak to a black detective. During his
confession, he also said that he "didn't like the people over there"
referring to the Howard Beach neighborhood, historically an Italian-American
community. His sister also expressed a strong dislike for and distrust of
police officers.
Lewis also
had several run-ins with police in the years before the murder, including three
summonses in 2013: two for violating rules in Spring Creek Park and one for
urinating in public. An additional incident occurred in May 2016 when a 9-1-1 caller
reported a suspicious male with a crowbar in the backyards of several homes. An
NYPD lieutenant who lived in Howard Beach also remembered him lurking around in
the area looking into cars and traced him from when Lewis's name and address
had been taken by police during a stop-and-frisk report.
According to
investigators, on August 2, Lewis had left his home after arguing with his
family and walked over to the park, where he came across, and then attacked,
Vetrano. While it is believed to have been a completely random encounter, it is
not definitely known if Lewis had ever seen Vetrano before, or premeditated the
attack on her.
Upon
returning home that night, his mother recalled him looking
"disheveled" with his clothes torn and covered in scratches. Lewis
claimed he had been mugged by a group of men, although there was no evidence of
such an attack, and a police report was never filed. The next day, August 3,
Lewis's father, a former school principal, took him to a local emergency room
for treatment of scratches and cuts on Lewis's upper body. Hospital records
confirmed that Lewis was treated by doctors the day after the murder, and that
he had also suffered a bad hand injury. Lewis's family continued to deny his
involvement in the homicide; his father claimed he had not heard of or read
about Vetrano's death until after his son was arrested for it.
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A
thrill-seeker. A daydreamer. Karina Vetrano touched so many lives in her 30
years, and today her friends and family are saying goodbye to a young soul gone
too soon. Our hearts go out to them.
The latest in
the case: http://via.pix11.com/zI3We
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INTERNET SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3728345/Parents-murdered-jogger-Karina-Vetrano-say-killer-pay-justice-served.html
'I guarantee you will pay forever as you f***ing burn in hell': Mother
of murdered new York jogger delivers chilling message to her daughter's killer
- Karina Vetrano's mother, Cathy, had a chilling message for her daughter's murderer: 'you will pay forever'
- Cathy along with her husband, Phillip, spoke during a news conference on Sunday saying 'justice will be served'
- The mother called killer a 'coward' and said they'd soon have a face to the 'd**kless piece of garbage that you are'
- Press conference comes just a day after the mourning parents laid their daughter to rest on Saturday in Queens
- So many mourners attended that the service had to be broadcast on speakers for those who had to stand outside
- Police are still searching for the person who killed 30-year-old Vetrano on Tuesday during her daily jog
By Louise
Boyle In Queens, New York For Dailymail.com and Myriah
Towner and Anneta
Konstantinides and Wills
Robinson and Liam
Quinn For Dailymail.com
Published: 06:54 +10:00, 8 August
2016 | Updated: 10:01 +10:00, 8 August 2016
The mother of
murdered jogger Karina Vetrano, whose body was found after she went for a run
in New York City, has a chilling message for her daughter's fugitive killer: 'I guarantee you — you will pay forever.'
Speaking
during a news conference outside their Howard Beach, Queens home on Sunday,
Cathy Vetrano said the killer must know the whole world is seeking justice.
'I'm
here to remind you, in case you don't already know, that now it's the
whole entire world against you,' she said after taking off her
sunglasses to address the killer who she called a 'coward.'
'The
whole entire world knows what a pathetic, puny, weak, piece of filth that you
are... and soon, I know they're all going to know your face as well.
'Soon
we're gonna have a face to the d**kless piece of garbage that you are.'
'And
above and beyond all, you know that my daughter was a force to be reckoned
with,' she continued while behind the podium outside their home as she was
gathered by loved ones and her husband.
'And
I guarantee you, I guarantee you, you motherf***er that you will be reckoning
with that force not only for the rest of your pathetic life, but for the rest
of eternity as you f***ing burn in hell. I guarantee you that.'
She went on
to say how her daughter was a big believer in karma and described her as
magical.
On the porch
near where the group was standing, photos of Karina could be seen along with
flowers - one large arrangement in the shape of a butterfly and one of the
number 11.
'Eleven
was her favorite number,' her father said after the couple delivered their
statements.
'She
loved butterflies, she loved rainbows, she loved nature, and that's what
represents. She loved cats, also.'
A sign with a
kitten's face was also hanging, featuring the phrase 'Triple Threat' across the
top.
One of her
friends told reporters that the phrase was in reference to how together, Karina
and their other friend, were 'an unstoppable force' and a 'triple
threat.'
The news
conference came just a day after the mourning parents laid their daughter to
rest.
Family and
friends completely packed St Helen Roman Catholic Church in Howard Beach,
Queens on Saturday to remember the aspiring writer who called her dad her best
friend.
Phillip
Vetrano, who discovered his daughter's body with police on Tuesday, spoke
briefly at the service.
'She
was so full of life, light, beauty and power,' he said. 'Just as a
shooting star burns out at its greatest brilliance, so did Karina.'
Cathy Vetrano
then read a poem she had written for her daughter more than 10 years ago.
'So
fragile, my girl. A tiger she rages, she roars in this world,'
the devastated mother read.
'The
beauty, the temptress, free spirit she.
'Brilliant,
resilient, powerful, dangerous, restless and proud.
'The
heart of a lion, the soul of a lamb. Karina, my baby, you shine and you love.'
There was
only standing room available at the service, which was broadcast on speakers to
those who could not fit inside the church, according to Newsday.
Rev Francis
Colamaria, who delivered the eulogy, said Vetrano was dedicated to health and
fitness.
'This parish,
this family, this neighborhood, our city, is gathered here in prayer racked by
grief by the loss of Karina,' he said.
Vetrano's
coffin was draped in white and gold.
Members of
the FDNY lined up outside the door of the church as Vetrano's coffin was
brought inside. Her father is a veteran of the force.
Vetrano's
funeral comes just after police found the jogger's missing sneaker and
earphones about 60 feet away from the woman's battered body.
The blue and
gold New Balance sneaker and the earphones were found in opposite directions of
each other in the tall-weeded park, sources told the New York Post.
The discovery
of the items led investigators to believe that the murderer threw Vetrano's
belongings during the attack.
Police are
testing the items for DNA and fingerprints.
Vetrano's
family had attended a wake on Friday.
Mourners
could be seen embracing each other outside the doors of the James
Romanelli-Stephen Funeral Home that afternoon.
Floral
arrangements arrived throughout the day including a large pink and purple
butterfly made of flowers.
A heavy NYPD
presence surrounded the entire block which had been closed off by barriers and
police tape.
Maria Atwell,
whose brother works with Phillip Vetrano, attended the wake to pay her
respects.
She broke
down as she said: 'They are a very loving Catholic
family. It's heartbreaking. She was a beautiful girl taken too soon.
'There
are no words you can say to anyone. I hope they catch the b*****d who did
this.'
Susan
Marcetti spoke outside the funeral home. Her daughter was a friend of Karina
Vetrano and planned to attend the wake later in the evening.
'She was just
a beautiful person,' she said, adding that the family were distraught at the
wake.
NYPD Chief of
Detectives Robert Boyce said earlier this week that the department believes
there is a 'severe community threat' in the wake of Vetrano's murder in Howard
beach, Queens, during her daily afternoon jog on Tuesday.
An autopsy
late Wednesday confirmed Vetrano's cause of death was strangulation.
Boyce,
according to NBC New York, said Vetrano 'put up a good fight'
despite the horrific beating she suffered.
A police
source told PEOPLE that Vetrano bit her attacker so hard, her teeth
cracked.
The source
added that investigators had recovered DNA from Vetrano's bruised body.
It comes
after a used condom was found near where the jogger was attacked, police
sources have said.
Phillip
Vetrano found his daughter's body covered in cuts, scratches and bruises and
with her shorts and sports bra pulled down.
Police still
have no suspects, no leads and have not made any arrests.
They believe
a stranger committed the horrific crime and have upped the reward to $10,000
after receiving only three tips.
New York
Mayor Bill de Blasio said: 'We really need the public's help on this one.'
Vetrano, an
aspiring writer, is believed to have broken up with her boyfriend just two days
before her death.
But police
have already ruled him out as a suspect after an alibi was provided.
According to
the New York Post, the condom and a discarded wrapper
were left near the scene - which was less than a mile away from where Vetrano
lived.
NYPD sources told the New York Daily News there is evidence she was
'vaginally and anally raped'.
Police sources added that there was bruising to her
buttocks and the backs of her upper thighs.
Phillip Vetrano had told his daughter not to run
down the path near where her body was found - fearing she could be attacked by
hobos and vagrants.
They would often run together, but a back injury
meant he had to stay home that day.
Mr Vetrano reported his daughter missing at 5pm on
Tuesday night after she failed to return from her afternoon workout at Spring
Creek Park, near the Belt Parkway.
He was worried when she didn't return and called a
police chief who lives near the family before phoning 911.
After Mr Vetrano called the police, he led officers down the track where she could have been heading towards the beach.
He then spotted her phone and started running.
Moments later he found her lifeless remains face down in the tall grass.
She was believed to be texting a friend when she
was attacked.
Cops have questioned two homeless people who live
in the area.
They are also looking at surveillance video from
nearby homes in a bid to catch the killer.
John Gotti's grandson recently said Howard Beach
had declined as a neighborhood under the NYPD's watch.
Gotti, who said he knew Vetrano well, said the
neighborhood was safer when it was in his grandfather's control.
'Yes some of them were gangsters, some of them were
tough guys. But they put fear in the neighborhood,' he told the New York Daily News.
Gotti said he and Vetrano ran in the same social
circles, calling her 'drop-dead gorgeous and a sweetheart'.
'I have a mother. I have a sister. I have a
beautiful girlfriend. And you have this tragedy. It hits too close to home.'
'Her family will never be the same,' he said.
Vetrano described herself as a 'thrill seeker' and
a 'day dreamer' on her Instagram page.
She went to the Catholic Archbishop Molloy High
School.
She earned a master's degree from St. John's
University in 2015, and worked as a caterer at the Vetro Lounge in Howard
Beach, her neighbors told the Daily News.
A candlelight memorial vigil was held there on
Wednesday night and drew more than 200 people.
Away from her work, Vetrano had a passion for
writing. One of her pieces, The Paradox, was made into a short film in 2013.
She also had a blog made up of pieces of her work, Karina Vee.
In one post, she wrote: 'I think the most painful
truth of existence is that nothing lasts forever.'
She also wrote: 'The majority of my life is on
paper. I write to savor the moments that I'm terrified will get lost and
forgotten in time if I don't document them.'
She hadn't uploaded any new stories or posts since
2014.
Pictures on social media showed her partying with
friends or in workout gear.
They include snaps of her enjoying lavish events in
St Tropez and New York.
A picture on her father's Facebook page shows him
in FDNY uniform, standing in at Ground Zero during the clean-up operation.
However she had recently been very close to another
huge tragedy.
In one snap Vetrano can be seen sitting next to a
fountain in Nice on July 13 - a day before a truck ran down almost 400 people
and killed 85.
Alongside the image, she wrote: 'I'm at a loss for
words... This picture was taken less than 24 hours ago in Nice.
'We walked around the city for hours admiring how
beautiful it was, & only a few hours ago I was still there.
'I can't believe this world, but I'm so grateful to
be home.'
Cathy
Vetrano GOES OFF On Her Daughter's Killer (WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE)
Published on Aug 7, 2016
This is the first time we are hearing from the
Vetrano Family since Karina Vetrano was raped and killed while jogging in her
hometown neighborhood of Howard Beach.
VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jwUhm5AQcM&t=219s
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A Horrible
Tragedy
30-year-old
Karina Vetrano from Queens was an avid runner. Yesterday she disappeared during
an afternoon jog and was later found dead and authorities are saying she may
have been strangled and sexually assaulted. A candlelight vigil is scheduled
for 8pm tonight in Howard Beach. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family
and loved ones. Rest in Peace Karina.
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A Prayer for Karina
Dearest Mother Father God,
we know and acknowledge you as Source.
We hold ourselves as one with you, in a unity which flows through us and all creation. In our faith of this holy union, we step up to our declaration that Karina is whole, healed, and complete. We connect with that which is Divine in all of us and jointly extend our compassion to Karina and all those who love her, and whom she loves.
We assert that there is nothing in creation that can succeed in assaulting the Divine, and that our faith lives in the invisible realm of Spirit, bringing forth physical manifestation all around us. In this faith, for those of us who believe in Jesus, we ask in His name. For those of us otherwise connected, we call upon our love of God to sustain us all in a unity of Light and compassion.
We deliver her into your divine hands, for there is nowhere else with greater healing and compassion. Having delivered her to Your care, we release our prayer and intention to Your vast heart, and align ourselves with Divine Highest Good. Knowing that it is now done, we enter into gratitude, giving thanks for all now being well.
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