UK - Reward for identity of the Croydon Cat Ripper. Jan 2016.

[Spyder84]

Thanks for the thread guys. I've followed this case very closely, and will give a brief rundown on this.
So, although its been an investigation for a couple of years, its thought this fella has been active for a lot longer, I have heard of many historic cases.
At the moment, nearly every victim is being recovered by the police & snarl who are then carrying out PM's, all PM's have shown that this is the work of a human, not another animal and definitely not foxes. The victims are often returned to where he found them from, and have been presented in such a way that its almost a display of this fella's handywork.
The investigation team are certain it is a man, but who knows.
Cats are not his only victims, he has killed foxes too.
At the time this was first picked up, he seemed to be targeting south london - but that was before the story went nationwide, and since then he has struck all over the country. His stomping ground is south london and the suburbs, so that tells me he lives and or works in the area.
We know he is getting around in a vehicle, and at night, the distances he has travelled would be very expensive so I think we can assume that he is carrying out these barbaric attacks whilst at work.
He is also stalking online commentary about himself, I have seen many discussions and theories put forward which seem plausible but then within days the MO changes and its almost as if its in reaction to whats been said online.
He is also very much aware of CCTV, seemingly able to completely avoid it.

 

[c4rtm4n]

A geographic profile using Rossmo's formula of the initial crimes when the killer was known as the Croydon Cat Killer suggests the perp had an anchor point around South Norwood.

http://geographicprofiler.com/crimes/croydon-cat-killer

A geo profile of later crimes when the series became known as the M25 Cat killer shows a larger area however the hot spot is still around South Norwood.

http://geographicprofiler.com/crimes/m25-cat-killer

And a profile of yet later crimes when the series is now also known as the UK Cat Killer with victims from all over the UK shows a larger hot spot of the Croydon area but still including South Norwood.

http://geographicprofiler.com/crimes/uk-cat-killer

The RSPCA said something about some of the victims appeared to be roadkill and were then mutilated after death.

It beggars belief that someone could be committing this number of crimes and no CCTV footage of the perp has been located.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Thanks for the thread guys. I've followed this case very closely, and will give a brief rundown on this.
So, although its been an investigation for a couple of years, its thought this fella has been active for a lot longer, I have heard of many historic cases.
At the moment, nearly every victim is being recovered by the police & snarl who are then carrying out PM's, all PM's have shown that this is the work of a human, not another animal and definitely not foxes. The victims are often returned to where he found them from, and have been presented in such a way that its almost a display of this fella's handywork.
The investigation team are certain it is a man, but who knows.
Cats are not his only victims, he has killed foxes too.
At the time this was first picked up, he seemed to be targeting south london - but that was before the story went nationwide, and since then he has struck all over the country. His stomping ground is south london and the suburbs, so that tells me he lives and or works in the area.
We know he is getting around in a vehicle, and at night, the distances he has travelled would be very expensive so I think we can assume that he is carrying out these barbaric attacks whilst at work.
He is also stalking online commentary about himself, I have seen many discussions and theories put forward which seem plausible but then within days the MO changes and its almost as if its in reaction to whats been said online.
He is also very much aware of CCTV, seemingly able to completely avoid it.

See, the problem I have with all of this is that it's vague. It's lacking in concrete detail. Frankly it's pretty much into urban myth territory for me. Not because something isn't happening but because lots of different things are being lumped into one mass.

Is something happening? Maybe yes. Maybe no. Lots of cats disappearing (and years ago there were rumours that cats were being captured by travellers and the pelts sold into the fur trade). Lots of cats apparently suffering decapitations and/or other unspecified mutilations. And a few foxes. And some rabbits.

It sounds to me, based on the information available, as though there could be any number of explanations to this, but that the authorities seem to be fixed on a single individual carrying out all the mutilations and probably many of the disappearances.

Apart from anything else, the accepted hypothesis requires one person to be able to capture large numbers of wary cats and a few wild (or possibly partly domesticated) urban foxes. And rabbits which invariably are in hutches in people's back gardens.

I'm afraid that without a lot more detail and some real breakdowns of data I remain decidedly sceptical about all of this.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

yes. they find other food in the cats' stomachs that their owners did not give them.

Surely that's not significant unless the stomach contents show something harmful? After all, lots of people put out food for what they think is a stray cat with no nefarious intent.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

The RSPCA said something about some of the victims appeared to be roadkill and were then mutilated after death.

So in practice, the hypothetical person who ran the cats over and the one who mutilated the corpses are not necessarily the same individual. That would screw up various theories.

It beggars belief that someone could be committing this number of crimes and no CCTV footage of the perp has been located.

Yes indeedy. A very good point, given the amount of CCTV in the UK these days.

 

[c4rtm4n]

So in practice, the hypothetical person who ran the cats over and the one who mutilated the corpses are not necessarily the same individual. That would screw up various theories.

Yes indeedy. A very good point, given the amount of CCTV in the UK these days.

Based on that quote from the RSPCA, it sounds plausible that someone is taking random road kill and mutilating the corpses and disposing them to be discovered.

But what is to gain by doing this?

 

[wfgodot]

Based on that quote from the RSPCA, it sounds plausible that someone is taking random road kill and mutilating the corpses and disposing them to be discovered.

But what is to gain by doing this?

Anything from performance art -- sort of a Gunther von Hagens for cats -- to, well, anything. Depraved madman or shortlisted for the Turner Prize -- both maybe. In real time it's so very hard to say.

 

[Spyder84]

PM's have shown that he is luring them with food, that is different from what the owners fed them, the PM's and forensic studies are confident this is one person, and there is a clear pattern when he is at his most prolific, and some of the cats have actually been taken and then returned a few days later to where they were found, including being returned to the owners homes, and being displayed, not all body parts are found.
There was a theory online today about date rape drugs, and its suggested he may be lacing food with something similar which seems plausible
The south norwood suggestion is extremely interesting...

 

[c4rtm4n]

I believe every single report of a cat killer victim has come from this SNARL group.

How is it that a small animal charity gets called about every single victim? How does an entire population of 65 million people know to call this one charity?

With that kind of public resonance, should they not also be running for office?

Or are they being called for only a tiny percentage of the decapitated cats found, and in actual fact the cat killer is mutilating 100's of animals every night?

Is it possible for one person to kill 100's of cats in one night? Santa Claus does deliver presents to most of the world in one night, so maybe it is true.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I believe every single report of a cat killer victim has come from this SNARL group.

How is it that a small animal charity gets called about every single victim?

I had a look at their website. There's not a lot there, is there, and what there is is almost all about the Cat Killer.

What I find curious is that there is nothing at all about animals they are presumably trying to rehome. They talk about having "12 resident cats and a number of fosters and strays."

Now in animal rescue in the UK there are two basic functions: sanctuary and rehoming.

Sanctuary is providing a permanent home for animals that cannot be rehomed. In this case I would guess the 12 residents includes their own pets and a number of non-rehomeable cats.

Rehoming speaks for itself. Every rescue that takes in strays and pets that have been handed over to them by former owners actively seeks to rehome them so they have space to take in new animals. But in this case there are no details about animals they are trying to rehome. No photos with blurb along the lines of "Billy is a 3 year old tom whose former owner went into a nursing home and he is looking for a home with/out young children/dogs" etc.

So yes, curious.

Or are they being called for only a tiny percentage of the decapitated cats found, and in actual fact the cat killer is mutilating 100's of animals every night?

Is it possible for one person to kill 100's of cats in one night? Santa Claus does deliver presents to most of the world in one night, so maybe it is true.

The other thing that strikes me is that we tend to associate animal abuse and mutilation with children and teenagers. Yet this has supposedly been going on for years without dying out (as the perpetrator grows out of it) or apparently escalating. If one person really is responsible for all of these claimed cat killings then it clearly is someone with a vehicle or who travels or can travel without causing comment, which would indicate an adult.

It doesn't add up.

 

[badgersmythe]

Is it SNARL that are performing the examinations and determining cause of death?
My feelings are that there is a cat killer working in the Croydon area however as someone else posted above, the Manchester/up north reports are more likely to be the work of a natural predator.
If it was a teenager that began the killings then maybe he/she moved further afield after passing their driving test and getting a car.
I just find it hard to believe that there are hundreds of these cases up and down the whole country. I'd be interested to know whether the police are linking the cases or SNARL.


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[MelmothTheLost]

Is it SNARL that are performing the examinations and determining cause of death?

It certainly sounds as though their vet has come to different conclusions to the RSPCA. I have to say I'm not at all a fan of the latter organisation but in this case I would trust them over a small local organisation that seems to be little more than a one-issue pressure group.

My feelings are that there is a cat killer working in the Croydon area however as someone else posted above, the Manchester/up north reports are more likely to be the work of a natural predator.
If it was a teenager that began the killings then maybe he/she moved further afield after passing their driving test and getting a car.
I just find it hard to believe that there are hundreds of these cases up and down the whole country. I'd be interested to know whether the police are linking the cases or SNARL.

What interests me is the assumption that all of these cases are claimed to be the work of one person. The UK has long had a problem with the sporadic mutilation and sometimes killing of equines around the country but nobody has ever, AFAIK, claimed that those are all the work of one individual or group. Police forces have tended to come under pressure from various Christian and/or animal rights groups to investigate them as the work of "Satanists" or "witches" but in most cases they treat the attacks as the work of teenagers or young adults, especially as many of the attacks have a sexual element, especially on mares.

 

[swarfliam]

It certainly sounds as though their vet has come to different conclusions to the RSPCA. I have to say I'm not at all a fan of the latter organisation but in this case I would trust them over a small local organisation that seems to be little more than a one-issue pressure group.



What interests me is the assumption that all of these cases are claimed to be the work of one person. The UK has long had a problem with the sporadic mutilation and sometimes killing of equines around the country but nobody has ever, AFAIK, claimed that those are all the work of one individual or group. Police forces have tended to come under pressure from various Christian and/or animal rights groups to investigate them as the work of "Satanists" or "witches" but in most cases they treat the attacks as the work of teenagers or young adults, especially as many of the attacks have a sexual element, especially on mares.

I must say i do simply trust SNARL if they say they and the RSPCA believe this is the work of one twisted individual. All the killings are done in a very particular way which has not been shared and thus can't have been copied. I think the reason it's taking so long to solve is because ultimately the police don't solve animal crimes and the RSPCA aren't geared to solve serial animal crime.

I guess if we want to work under the assumption that SNARL and RSPCA are lying to us about it being one person then you can keep going, but it's going to be fairly fruitless imho.

 

[Spyder84]

I'm currently working on mapping the victims as best I can, so far I have gone back by 2 months and the victims and their localities make perfect sense for some one who is driving and using major motorways, its difficult to really pinpoint exact times, but patterns in movement when he is at a peak in activity do seem to be showing a plausible route he his taking. Which doesn't really tell us anything other then he drives...
I am noticing another pattern and will continue to monitor that over the coming few weeks, and will post if it comes to anything however I find the geo-mapping link with south norwood of most interest

 

[Al Ka]

I believe every single report of a cat killer victim has come from this SNARL group.

How is it that a small animal charity gets called about every single victim? How does an entire population of 65 million people know to call this one charity?

With that kind of public resonance, should they not also be running for office?

Or are they being called for only a tiny percentage of the decapitated cats found, and in actual fact the cat killer is mutilating 100's of animals every night?

Is it possible for one person to kill 100's of cats in one night? Santa Claus does deliver presents to most of the world in one night, so maybe it is true.

From what I have observed so far it is very simple and straightforward process.

First thing every person does when their pet goes missing is plaster their neighborhood with missing posters and almost all also post on various FB pages of missing and found pets. If they found their pet they are ecstatic and most do post happily on FB pages that they have been reunited. If you found your pet deceased it is quite upsetting news for the owner. Imagine finding your pet killed what seems to be by other human, something avoidable, unnecessary and very cruel. You are double upset. 99% of those owners will share their pain on those missing FB pages too and usually moderators or other members of any of those FB pages do contact SNARL or whoever appropriate (and elimination begins). Due to this, unlike in any other crimes, I believe number of confirmed killings is quite or almost accurate.

One or two month ago someone in my close neighbourhood posted there very upset that after one day missing he has located his cat deceased near his back garden and apparently it was very obvious that it was done by human. He did not go into details but did mention that police was called. I have seen moderators were taking action straight away and SNARL was contacted too. Few days later moderators or Snarl announced there that even though it was done by human it was not work of "The" cat killer.

"The" cat killer or not, it was quite disturbing for me to follow that conversation and to know that someone killed cat on purpose in our quite nice and safe neighbourhood, place where my own furbaby is currently missing.

 

[Tulessa]

I just can't read this. I love kitties.

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Same. Sorry guys, I'd be no help here.

 

[Al Ka]

I have just googled who is responsible for leading Operation Takahe (as this case is called) and surprisingly it is not led by a charity but it comes under Detective Sergeant Andy Collin from the Metropolitan Police on 0208 6490216 (phone number posted on the flyers).

Others involved are SNARL, RSPCA, Peta (offering £5000), Outpaced (offering £5000) and probably some others too. So SNARL is only one of many involved, but they are definitely most outspoken.

If the case of crazy cat killer is really true (I assume police would not be involved without valid reasons), I rather have someone outspoken, then none.

 

[c4rtm4n]

Check out this:

[video=youtube;gV4XqCt1-yQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV4XqCt1-yQ[/video]

An interview with SNARL from April 20 2017. Listen to the very end (last 10 seconds) ".... I am now more convinced that you are right, that we are being conned". Seems the host, Jon Gaunt might think it is a load of bollocks.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Is the net closing in on the Croydon cat killer?

A serial cat killer who has murdered more than 250 felines in the UK might finally be caught after witnesses spotted a 'shadowy figure' fleeing the latest crime scene.

This is the first time anyone has caught sight of the violent criminal who is believed to have been responsible for an attack in Surrey last week.

Just moments before the deranged murderer ran away residents in Caterham reported hearing the sound of someone making a 'kissing noise' as if to attract a pet.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...on-cat-killer-finally-caught-three-years.html

 

[lizziginne]

A childhood friends cat was killed my the Cat Killer a few weeks ago in Barnet, North London! And currently there are more cats missing in the area, and posters up about it


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