Lookalike joggers Vanessa Marcotte and Karina Vetrano found raped and murdered just days apart

Police probing the deaths of two young women raped and murdered while out jogging have refused to rule out a connection between the two grisly killings .

Google account manager Vanessa Marcotte vanished while out running near to her mum's Massachusetts home on Sunday.

The 27-year-old's body was later discovered by a police dog unit in woods just half a mile from the property in Princeton.

Police said the New Yorker had been sexually assaulted and had been burned on her head, feet and hands.

Marcotte's horrific death came just days after lookalike jogger, Karina Vetrano, was sexually assaulted and murdered while out running in Queens.

The 30-year-old's battered body was found face down on an overgrown path in Howard Beach, in Queens, New York.

Police have now sparked fears of a serial killer after refusing to rule out a link between the two murders.

NYPD spokesman Peter Donald told The New York Post: "We haven’t ruled anything out. We’re going to continue to investigate this case and follow the leads where they take us."

Worcester County (Massachusetts) District Attorney Joseph Early Jr also suggested a connection between the killings at a press conference on Tuesday.

He told reporters: "We understand there are similarities.

"We’re approaching this from every angle. We’re fairly early in this investigation."

- Mirror