WORCESTER, Mass. - Angelo Colon-Ortiz pleaded to guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Vanessa Marcotte in 2016 at a change of plea hearing in Worcester Wednesday.

Colon-Ortiz, of Worcester, also pleaded guilty to an unarmed robbery charge. He will serve 20 years in prison for the unarmed robbery charge and then begin serving a life sentence for the murder charge, according to the Worcester County District Attorney's office. He will not be eligible for parole for 45 years.

Colon-Ortiz initially pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and unarmed robbery after his arrest and arraignment in 2017. His legal team suggested the plea deal to prosecutors, who accepted the deal at the request of the Marcotte family.

“We are thankful and gratified the legal process has accomplished what we always wished for, that this man will now be in a place where he can’t hurt anyone else like the way he hurt Vanessa,” the Marcotte family said in a statement.

Attorneys representing Colon-Ortiz said accepting the plea deal was in the best interests of both sides. Colon-Ortiz declined to speak during the change of plea hearing. 

Marcotte, 27, had worked for Google in New York City and came to Princeton to visit her family in August 2016, according to the district attorney's office. She was reported missing after not returning from an afternoon walk on Aug. 7, and her body was discovered in the woods near her family's home that evening.

"Honestly, it's been a really long six years for us, and being in there was awful to have to relive the day," Ashley McNiff, Marcotte's friend, said. "We're just happy it can finally be put behind us and that we're able to just really focus now on carrying out the work that we did in Vanessa's honor for the foundation."

Wednesday's plea agreement ensures the Marcotte family won't have to endure a lengthy trial. It comes just ten days after Vanessa's father, John Marcotte, passed away. Vanessa's uncle delivered a victim impact statement on his behalf and said he died of complications from a broken heart, overcome by six long, painful years of agonizing grief, sadness, loneliness and despair.

"Honestly, every day for the last six years, that was the only thing he was fighting for," McNiff said. "But ultimately, I just think having to endure this for so long is really what lead him to his death. I know that he's with us today and that he's happy he's finally behind bars, but it was just too much out of him."

Vanessa's mother, Rossana Marcotte, also delivered a victim impact statement in court Wednesday.

"In the last 10 days, I have had to write John's obituary and my victim impact statement regarding Vanessa's murder, neither of which should have happened," Rossana said.

The Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation was established in 2017 in Marcotte's memory. The foundation holds self-defense workshops for women and runs educational programs on violence prevention, runner safety and healthy relationships.

Vanessa's cousin, Caroline Tocci, said she fought for her life that day in 2016 and the fight continues through the foundation.

"Women are coming to us," Tocci said. "We're getting inundated with requests for self-defense workshops and we're really excited to help promote female safety and also tackle the root cause of the issue, which is objectification against women."