Police Release Sketch In Queens Jogger Murder Investigation
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police have released a sketch of a man they'd like to speak to in connection with the investigation into the death of a Queens jogger.
Karina Vetrano, 30, was murdered while running through Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach on Aug. 2. Police said she was strangled and possibly sexually assaulted. Her father along with authorities found her body hours after she didn't return home from her jog.
Investigators said the man in the sketch is a possible witness and is not a suspect or person of interest. Police said a utility worker helped police with the sketch after he saw the man on the Belt Parkway pathway on the north side of the park.
"He's described as a male black, 35 to 45, he's 5'10," with a medium build," Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.
CBS2's Ali Bauman reported police are not sure if he followed the path to end up in East New York, or headed toward Ozone Park, but admit one part of the man's outfit was out of the ordinary.
"He was wearing dark pants with a red T-shirt and if you'll notice the dark wool hat. Remember the day was Aug. 2, a little unusual he's wearing a wool hat," Boyce said.
There is no evidence that the man in the sketch is wanted for the crime, Boyce said.
"We want to speak to this person because we believe he was there," Boyce said. "So if you saw this person I am asking you to call police."
Police said they have been holding onto this sketch for ten days and are only now releasing it to the public because they have to speak to him.
"We have a lot of videos of people going into the 106 area and the residential area right there, so we checked all that video," Boyce said. "No one has emerged from that section right there. At this point, we shifted our investigation into the bicycle path where there is no video, so we have to rely on witness ID. So that is why we held that to such time."
Police also have a DNA profile from Vetrano's body and her cell phone, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported. Investigators ran the DNA through state and federal systems, but there were no hits.
The reward for information leading to Vetrano's killer has grown to more than $300,000. A GoFundMe account set up by Vetrano's family has raised more than $265,000, while a $35,000 reward for information is being offered by the NYPD.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
