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

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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) —  The devastated parents of a Queens woman who was murdered while on a jog 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 along a path she and her father often ran together in the Howard Beach, New York, community.

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.”

His wife, Cathy Vetrano, said Thursday, “My little baby was brutalized by this person, by this evil coward. Her last moments were horrible.”

She then spoke directly to the killer: “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 Thursday 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.”

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