A day before the arrest of her suspected killer, the family of Wendy Karina Martinez — the newly-engaged Washington, D.C., woman stabbed to death Tuesday night while out for a jog — paid tribute to the 35-year-old as “a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional.”
Martinez’s family released a statement, published Wednesday by local TV station WRC, remembering the slain woman as “the light of our lives.”
“We are deeply saddened by this senseless tragedy,” reads their statement, composed by Martinez’s mother.
The family asked for privacy as they continue to grieve.
Martinez, an “avid runner,” according to her family, died after being stabbed repeatedly while jogging through D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood, authorities said.
She stumbled, bloody, into a local restaurant before being taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police believe she was not specifically targeted but instead attacked at random.
She had become engaged to her boyfriend, Daniel Hincapie, last week, her family said.
Martinez served as Chief of Staff of FiscalNote, a privately held software, data and media company headquartered in D.C.
“The entire FiscalNote family is shocked and deeply saddened to learn that Wendy Martinez, our Chief of Staff, was killed last night,” her employer wrote on Twitter. “Wendy was an invaluable member of our team and a vibrant member of the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy’s family and friends.”
Authorities said additional details about the homicide would be released at a news conference later Thursday morning.
