'This person is sick:' 12th cat found mutilated in Thurston County
OLYMPIA, Wash. - The number of mutilated cats keeps growing in Thurston County. Twelve cats have now turned up dead.
The latest cat was found near in a field Pacific Avenue SE and the popular Chehalis Western Trail in Olympia.
"This person is a sick, callous disgusting psychopath,” said Paul DeTray, who found the 12th mutilated cat. “To say the least, a little gut-wrenching to see somebody’s beloved pet torn apart like that.”
It was the flies and bees swarming around a field on Pacific Avenue Tuesday afternoon that caught DeTray and his coworkers’ attention.
When DeTray went to check things out, he found the 12th mutilated cat dumped in the field.
"When it actually happens and you find it, that's a completely different story. It really hits home,” said DeTray.
Animal cruelty investigators said a task force has now been created with lead detectives in each city the cats have come up dead.
Since February, the 12 cats have been found in Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and outside city limits in Thurston County with many left on display in public.
Investigators believe all the cases are connected because of how the cats were injured and missing body parts.
DeTray said its crucial to stay extra vigilant without knowing where the killer will strike next.
"This person needs help,” said DeTray. “Either they need to be locked up in a full-time mental care facility or they need to go to prison."
The reward to catch the cat killer has now grown to $30,000.
