Police Arrest Man For The Rape And Murder Of Jogger Karina Vetrano
A woman named Karina Vetrano had been jogging on August 2 last year when she was brutally raped and murdered in broad daylight.
The 30-year-old woman, who was strangled to death, was jogging in New York City en route to Howard Beach when she was attacked by a man.
Karina was reported missing by her father, a retired firefighter who usually joined her during her jog, but decided not to on August 2.
Surveillance footage obtained nearby Vetrano's jogging route shows her jogging just moments before her death.
During the intense investigation for her killer, police first released a sketch of a man believed to have been the culprit, but later stated the man in question was no longer a suspect.
Months later, her alleged attacker has now been identified as 20-year-old Chanel Lewis of Brooklyn.
According to AP, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce stated Lewis was taken into police custody on February 4. Investigators don't believe Vetrano and Lewis knew each other prior to the incident.
Instead, it was the DNA of the man found on Karina and at the crime scene that led to Lewis' long-awaited arrest.
Boyce spoke to reporters, saying,
You gotta remember Karina helped us identify this person. She had the DNA under her nails. She had touch DNA on her back and there was more DNA on her cellphone. So three incidents. That's how we were able to bring this profile up. And that's how we made the link.
Eventually, this data led authorities right to Lewis' doorstep. The 20-year-old man, who lives with his mother, reportedly gave revealing statements detailing "each step of the assault," which ultimately led to his arrest.
When reporters asked Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce for more details regarding Chanel Lewis' mental state and behavioral health, Boyce declined to comment.
As of right now, it would appear Karina Vetrano's heartless killer has allegedly been taken off of the streets. Still, there will be nothing that could ever fill the void many of her loved ones have in their hearts.
Citations: Police: Man arrested in strangling death of NYC jogger (AP)
