Funeral held for Howard Beach jogger
HOWARD BEACH, Queens (WABC) -- Many said a final goodbye Saturday to a woman who was found dead in a Howard Beach park after she vanished during an afternoon jog.
No arrests have been made in the death of Karina Vetrano, 30, of Queens, who left her home for a jog around 5 p.m. Tuesday. When she failed to return, family members reported her missing and started searching for her.
She was found around 9 p.m. in the marshes of Spring Creek Park, off 161st Avenue and 78th Street.
The medical examiner's office performed an autopsy Wednesday and ruled her death a homicide, saying she was strangled.
The funeral was held at noon, at St. Helen Church in Howard Beach.
On Thursday, police said the crime appears to be random and that it appeared she also was sexually assaulted. They also said she fought back against her attacker, and they were hopeful that would lead to new evidence.
A sneaker and a bud from an iPhone headphone were found during the grid search, near the scene where the jogger was found, sources told Eyewitness News Friday.
The sneaker was about 100 feet away from the body, the iPhone bud about 15 feet off the path. They will be tested for DNA and other evidence to confirm they are hers.
Hundreds came to a wake for Vetrano in Ozone Park Friday to pay their respects to the family, in a steady stream of love and grief.
"I said to the father, I don't know what to say, for the first time in my life I have nothing to say," said family friend JoAnne Rosina.
PHOTOS: Jogger killed at Howard Beach in Queens
