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QC08112016

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com AUGUST 11, 2016 • The Queens Courier 9 MURDER AND MOURNING IN HOWARD BEACH Photo: Anthony Giudice/THE COURIER An NYPD truck blocks off part of 78th Street in Howard Beach on Aug. 8 near where Karina Vetrano’s body was found a week ago. COPS GETTING TIPS BUT FEW LEADS IN SEARCH FOR KARINA’S KILLER BY ANTHONY GIUDICE AND ROBERT POZARYCKI editorial@qns.com/@QNS Finding Karina Vetrano’s killer may take some time, but local law enforcement vowed that they wouldn’t rest until the perpetrator is brought to justice. During the Aug. 8 meeting at St. Helen’s Church in Howard Beach about the case, NYPD officials assured the community that officers are working hard and utilizing every available resource at the department’s disposal to find her killer. “A lot of work remains to be done,” NYPD Chief of Patrol Carlos Gomez, who is also a former commanding officer of the 106th Precinct. “The commitment is there from our department and we will solve this thing, I promise you that.” Since Vetrano was found last week raped and fatally strangled in the Gateway National Recreational Area off the intersection of 161st Avenue and 78th Street, detectives have combed the marshy park land for clues related to her murder. One of Vetrano’s sneakers and a set of earphones were recovered and are being tested for possible DNA evidence. The NYPD has not been working on this alone. The community has pitched in and helped wherever possible, like providing their homes’ security camera footage to try and identify people entering of exiting the park. The FBI is also participating in the investigation. “To date we have received 30 Crime Stopper tips,” said Deputy Chief Michael Kemper, commanding officer of the Queens South Detective Bureau. “Each and every Crime Stopper tip is being fully vetted and investigated. We encourage people to report any info they may have in regard to this incident, anything they might have seen and or any info they think might help us in this investigation.” The reward for providing a tip that leads to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the crime has been raised to $10,000, four times the normal $2,500 reward that Crime Stoppers offers. On Tuesday, Crime Stoppers raised the reward again to $20,000. “So far, investigators interviewed hundreds of people in regard to the incident to see if anyone saw anything, knows anything, even heard rumors,” Kemper added. “We will continue to do this. So far we have collected several pieces of evidence from the crime scene that are being forensically processed as we speak. We hope to have all of the results back very soon.” Visit QNS.com for the latest developments on the Karina Vetrano case. The following is a timeline of events regarding the Karina Vetrano murder investigation, from the moment she was last seen alive through press time on Aug. 10. 5 p.m., Aug. 2: Karina Vetrano, 30, leaves her 84th Street home to go on her nightly run. She usually jogs with her father, but he opts to stay home this time due to his ailing back. 6:30 p.m., Aug. 2: Karina has not come home after 90 minutes, and her father contacts police. The 106th Precinct commences a search for her. 11 p.m., Aug. 2: Her father, now part of the search party, discovers Karina dead in a marshy area of the Gateway National Recreational Area off the intersection of 161st Avenue and 78th Street. Aug. 3: The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner declares Karina’s death a homicide. NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce announces that she was sexually assaulted prior to being strangled to death. That evening, some 200 people attend a vigil for Karina at Vetro’s, where she had worked as a caterer. Aug. 4: Boyce says that the NYPD has received few substantial tips during the course of its investigation. The Crime Stoppers hotline quadruples its reward from $2,500 to $10,000 for anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Karina Vetrano’s killer. Aug. 5: Members of the FBI join the NYPD in combing the area of Gateway National Recreational Area and Spring Creek Park for any evidence connected with the homicide. One of Karina’s running shoes and a pair of earphones are recovered. They are sent to a laboratory for DNA testing. Vetrano’s wake is held at Romanelli Funeral Home in Ozone Park. Aug. 6: Family and friends gather at St. Helen’s Church for a funeral Mass for Karina Vetrano prior to her burial. Aug. 7: At a press conference in front of the Vetrano home, an emotional Cathy Vetrano, Karina’s mother, calls her daughter’s killer “pathetic” and vows that the person responsible will “burn in hell.” Aug. 8: A community meeting is held at St. Helen’s Church among local lawmakers and residents regarding the Vetrano homicide. Detectives, meanwhile, continue their investigation. Aug. 9: It is reported that the DNA found on evidence recovered from the crime scene does not match anyone in the state DNA databank. Crime Stoppers boosts its reward from $10,000 to $20,000. Aug. 10: The family of Karina Vetrano and Howard Beach residents launch a reward fund of their own. More than $99,000 from over 1,000 different donors has been contributed as of 3:30 p.m. to the GoFundMe account. Anyone with any information regarding the Karina Vetrano murder is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or send a text message to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential. Compiled by Robert Pozarycki A tearful farewell for Karina Karina Vetrano’s family and friends gathered at St. Helen’s Church in Howard Beach on the morning of Aug. 6 to pay their final respects to the 84th Street resident. Emotional pallbearers are pictured escorting her casket out of the church following the Mass of Christian Burial; Karina’s father is pictured at right, wearing sunglasses. Photo by Robert Stridiron


QC08112016
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