If you have not already heard, a second female jogger was slain on Sunday, August 7. This event took place right after Karina Vetrano’s execution, and in a strikingly similar way. Which prompts me to ask, is this the new fad? How many more innocent, young females performing the act of jogging will be lost? Why aren’t more strides being made to find the killers?

This time around, the murder of Vanessa Marcotte took place in Princeton, Mass. Her simple visit back home to see her mother turned into her life being taken away for good. In a brutal fashion, her killer burned her hands, feet and even Marcotte’s face. This was the scene when a state police dog came across her body. None of these women could have ever foreseen what they would bump into to while jogging for their health.

Let’s talk about the eerie similarities between the two happenings.

1. Both young, white females (Vetrano 30, Marcotte 27).

2. Both were out for runs, in broad daylight only to be found dead with their garments removed.

3. Both fought back against their killer.

4. Both murders took place in parks on the East Coast within five days of each other.

5. Both women were killed about half a mile away from their parent’s homes.

6. Both females are New York City residents.

The question on everyone's mind after taking all of this into consideration is “are these two murders linked?” And as of now, there is no clear-cut answer. Authorities say no evidence has been discovered yet to bind the two cases together but the NYPD is “comparing notes.”

I think it is easy for the killer/s to prey on joggers because most usually they are heavily absorbed into the act of running that they forget the world around them. It is sort of like tunnel vision, where they strive to achieve their goal and block out their surroundings. When you are in your own neighborhood and never expect the unexpected, you especially don’t pay mind to your surroundings. This, unfortunately, is because you are under the assumption that everything is alright. The widely known phenomena of a runner’s high can also add a “sense of euphoria” if a runner reaches this pivotal point. Throw in the reality that a lot of joggers incorporate headphones with their run, and you can see why this is a recipe for disaster.

In fact, between the years of 2004 and 2011, doctors reported seeing more injuries, even death, among headphone users - mostly in urban areas. Marcotte was a steady runner though, and her passion took her to great lengths, running marathons to raise money for cancer awareness.

Hundreds of tips are rolling into the Princeton, Mass. District Attorney’s office and they are investigating every lead. Currently, DNA evidence is under evaluation from a possible suspect. But because Marcotte, much like Vetrano, struggled and fought with her attacker, people are urged to look for anyone with heavy bruising and scratches on their body.

We as onlookers cannot let this continue to happen to our young women and possibly become the new trend. Someone must have a clue as to who enacted these abhorrent deeds. The question of whether or not these two homicide cases are linked by the same murderer is still up in the air; if it is not, we have a viral problem of individuals playing copycat in a deadly way. What do you think of these two murders: linked, or not linked?