The UK Cat Killer (also referred to by the media as the Croydon Cat Killer or the M25 Cat Killer) is thought to have killed, dismembered and decapitated more than 400 cats across England, beginning in 2014 in Croydon. Further killings were recorded in November 2016, with 10 feline victims being confirmed by police as linked. The attacks have since spread across and around London, and as far north as Manchester.
A description from Surrey police was released via the charity SNARL that the said killer could be a white man in his 40s, with short brown hair and may also be wearing a headlamp or carrying a torch.
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Investigation
The Metropolitan Police began to investigate the series of incidents in December 2015, under the name Operation Takahe led by Detective Sergeant Andy Collin, after the local unregistered animal charity South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) raised concerns about a series of cats found dead and missing their heads and tails. Police initially looked into whether the cats had been attacked by other animals such as foxes. By February 2016, the deaths of 10 cats (four in Croydon and one each in Streatham, Mitcham Common, Sutton, Charlton, Peckham and Finchley) had been linked by an examining vet. Following investigation into the mutilated remains, police believed a person or persons unknown to be responsible, and cat owners in the areas were advised not to let their cats out at night.
Vince Egan, associate professor of forensic psychology at Nottingham University has said: "In some individuals we have seen animal cruelty as part of a broader pattern in which humans are also harmed. It is far more likely that this reflects a rather more banal pattern of anti-social behaviour, such as drunkenness or something that doesn't go further. But when we have so little to go on you have to keep your mind open."
In March 2016, Det. Sgt. Collin said that the perpetrator might be only mutilating the corpses after the animals had already died and could only face charges relating to public order or theft. He noted that of the six cases being investigated, five of the cats had not been claimed which would make it difficult to bring charges of theft or criminal damage. An investigating vet said he had found raw chicken in the stomachs of a number of the felines killed, believing the perpetrator was using the meat to lure the cats. The RSPCA believes that the deaths were due to blunt trauma, possibly from a moving vehicle. SNARL said some animals may have been thrown against a wall.
The person responsible removed the head and tails of the felines, with it being assumed that the body parts are being retained as trophies. This led to local people signing a petition which reached 30,000 signatures requesting DNA testing to be undertaken on the corpses in the hope of getting a match. As of March 2016, no human DNA had been recovered. It is thought that the attacker or attackers could have worn protective clothes and gloves to avoid getting scratched by the cats. A geographic profile of earlier victims indicates the attacker may have a base in South Norwood.
By April 2016, SNARL had recorded 50 attacks across Crystal Palace, Mitcham, Streatham, Peckham, Charlton, Richmond, Orpington, and Farnborough in south London, Finchley, Tottenham and Archway in north London, Stepney in the east, and Guildford in Surrey. SNARL reported that other animals including foxes and rabbits have been attacked in the same way. The RSPCA has investigated 20 cat deaths, and in June 2016, SNARL speculated that the cat killer may have claimed the 100th kill following the discovery of a decapitated cat found in Morden. In June the police claimed they had spent 1,020 hours investigating the killings since the inquiry was launched in December 2015.
In early 2017, decapitated cats were discovered in New Malden, Crowborough in Sussex, and other locations. In May 2017 SNARL reported that a fox head was left in the Caterham Tesco car park, however a Caterham Tesco spokesperson said they were unaware of the incident.
By July 2016, the media and SNARL had begun referring to the attacker as the "M25 Cat Killer", after new reports, including a cat killed in Whyteleafe, Surrey, suggested the killer was operating around the M25 motorway. After reports of animal deaths in Maidstone, Sevenoaks and seven other locations, SNARL adopted the terms "M25 Animal Killer" and "UK Cat Killer".
In September 2017 ArroGen Veterinary Forensics began re-examining some animals to help police and RSPCA to bring prosecutions to animal-related crimes.
In October 2017 the BBC reported that the killer was believed to be behind the deaths of over 370 cats. Detective Andy Collins said it is possible there are copycats out there. Collins also said "Cats are targeted because they are associated with the feminine. The killer can't deal with a woman or women who are troubling him." and that he is worried "at some stage he'll escalate or feel brave enough to move on to vulnerable women and girls."
In December 2017, police linked five cat deaths around Northampton from August to November that year to the same killer. but later police stated that the Northampton deaths are not being linked to the others.
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Chronology of killings
The following is a list of killings reported on by the media which are believed to have been committed by the 'M25 cat killer'.
- February 2016 - A decapitated kitten was found in East Dulwich
- April 2016 - A decapitated cat was found in Kingston. In Archway a decapitated cat was found.
- June 2016 - SNARL speculated that the cat killer may have claimed the 100th kill following the discovery of a decapitated cat found in Morden.
- July 2016 - A cat was decapitated in Maidstone.
- August 2016 - The mutilated remains of a cat were found in Otford. In Bracknell a cat was found which was cut in half.
- November 2016 - The head of cat was found in a garden in Weybridge
- February 2017 - A decapitated cat was found in New Malden, Kingston.
- August 2017 - A mutilated cat was found in Caterham.
- September 2017 - In the first five days of a week in early September the killer was linked with the deaths of seven cats.
- October 2017 - Two cats were killed in Chatham and Hertfordshire.
- November 2017 - A mutilated cat was found in Welling, London
- April 2018 - A cat was found beheaded in Walton.
Reactions
In February 2016, the animal rights charity PETA offered a £5,000 reward (raised from an initial £2,000 in December 2015) to anyone providing information to the police that leads to the arrest and conviction of the serial cat killer (or killers).
Public figures local to Croydon such as Martin Clunes, Dermot O'Leary and Caroline Flack have used their social media accounts to raise awareness of the crime in the hope it leads to an arrest. In an email to Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, actor Martin Clunes wrote, "As someone who shares my home with several four-legged companions I read with horror that some of the cats had been decapitated, disemboweled or dismembered - this is the stuff of nightmares."
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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