Parents of Murdered NYC Jogger Plead With Killer to Own Up and Come Forward

Karina Vetrano, 30, was killed while out for a jog on Aug. 2.

ByABC News
August 18, 2016, 4:47 PM

— -- The devastated parents of a Queens woman who was murdered while jogging in her neighborhood are pleading with their daughter's killer to own up to the crime.

On Aug. 2, 30-year-old Karina Vetrano was strangled to death while jogging alone on a path where she and her father often ran together in Howard Beach, New York.

The victim's father, Phil Vetrano, addressed the killer at a news conference this afternoon, saying, "I know that you're tormented. I know that you're being driven crazy. I know that you want to do the right thing."

Her mother, Cathy Vetrano, said today, "My little baby was brutalized by this person, by this evil coward. Her last moments were horrible."

She then addressed the killer directly, saying, "Show someone that you care about, that you're not as evil as the whole world thinks that you are. You can't run. It's just a matter of time."

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said today there are no suspects, adding, "We are not close to an arrest."

"We are still seeking the public's assistance find a potential suspect that might lead to an arrest," Bratton said. "I certainly feel for this family that they would like resolution to the grief they're feeling, but we cannot provide that at this time."

ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

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