The father of slain jogger Karina Vetrano said on Thursday that police are close to catching her killer, appealing to a woman he said knows the identity of the suspect, according to reports.
But Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said that simply isn’t true.
Speaking to reporters outside his Howard Beach home on Thursday, Phil Vetrano said he believes there are several strong leads in the case and it will only be a “matter of days” before the killer is caught.
“We know there is a family member of the killer that we need for them to come forward, to finalize this very quickly,” he said to reporters.
Vetrano was strangled to death on Aug. 2 after she went for a jog by her Howard Beach home at about 5 p.m. Her body was found several hours later.
Bratton refuted the idea that police have solid leads.
“We have no suspects. We’re not close to an arrest,” he said, speaking at an unrelated event. “I certainly feel for the family, this young woman, that they would like a resolution to the grief they’re feeling, but we can’t provide that at this time.”
Bratton reiterated his appeal to the public for information in Vetrano’s death on Thursday. Police are offering a $20,000 reward for information in the case and the family has amassed more than a $254,000 supplement on GoFundMe.
