IMO, I doubt it was someone she was dating/intending to meet. IMO, someone in her life would have known about a date, a bf or some kind of dalliance. I really don't see any reason why she wouldn't share that information with at least one friend, and that friend likely would have stepped up by now.
As we all know,, investigators look at romantic partners first. All communication on her phone or on any other kind of personal device was fully and immediately sourced. If any info were relevant, I would think it would have been released? IDK. There is ALWAYS some kind of trail these days leading to where we go, whom we see and talk to, and what we do. We are talking about a 27 year old in an amazing city, in a highly socially interactive job with lots of similarly aged and educated people. Why she would hide someone she is seeing from EVERYONE would be beyond me.
In the Terri/Missy Bevers case (gosh, I am still tormented by that murder and lack of information), information about Missy's "romantic" social interactions was found and released immediately even though it was thought to be secret and "scandalous" since it was outside of marriage. I can't think of a reason LE wouldn't have found some kind of trail in Vanessa's case if there were one, and used it to their advantage.
Also, wasn't she just about to leave to go back to NYC? I don't see why she'd set up a rushed and clandestine date. IMO, it's more likely that she just wanted to take a peaceful jaunt before returning to a life beset by honking taxi cabs and urine-soaked subway stations. J/k. It's so amazing. (I am not insulting the city. I loveddddd living in NYC!)
For the locals, I grew up in Sterling. At the age of 12, we moved to West Boylston. I went to Worcester Academy. (Every time I see statements about how Bancroft is by far the best private school in the area, I want to scream, then remind myself this is not about school pride.) At Worcester Academy, I had many friends from the Holden/surrounding area. I later taught school in Boylston, and many of the teachers were long time Princeton and Rutland residents. I have spoken to one of the Princeton teachers, and IHHO (and f & f), she believes that it's a stalking-type situation that may have followed from NYC or...not. An ex-bf's mom in Holden won't walk alone anymore, and hits the roads with at least two friends. She thinks it's a local.
Anyhow, for locals, if LE thought a monster were on the loose, do you feel they would be acting differently? Are they?
Would they be patrolling more and disseminating more warnings? Are they?
Argh.
IDK. Like all of us, I am so baffled and so very sad.
All of this is speculation and the results of thinking out loud.