Vanessa Marcotte's parents were present as the family's first public statement was read Wednesday by her uncle, Steven Therrien, at a church in the central Massachusetts town of Princeton.
Marcotte's body was found Aug. 7 in a wooded area in Princeton.
Therrien said his niece embraced the spirit of volunteerism, and the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation will support causes that were important to her.
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Marcotte worked for Google in New York.
Investigators have received hundreds of tips but no suspects have been named. Police said last month they were looking for a dark-colored SUV seen parked in the area.