Beheaded kitten found in Lacey brings mutilated cat total to 8

A beheaded kitten was found in Lacey Wednesday, bringing the total number of mutilated cats found in Thurston County to eight.

“He or she is displaying these cats after they're mutilated, so that's obviously some sort of sick perverse pleasure,” said Thurston County Animal Control cruelty investigator Erika Johnson.

Johnson said it takes a sick person to kill and dismember helpless animals.

“Not only does this person have to be indifferent to suffering of an animal, but I think it's a pretty dark mind when you resort to something like this and you actually carry it out,” she said.

The kitten's body was found in the Clearbook community. It's the same spot where three other mutilated cats were found in February.

The cat killings have put this community on edge.

"It's historically been found that people who abuse humans in one way or the other have started out on animals,” said Johnson.

Steve Fogg is a former King County prosecuting attorney. He spent years putting murderers behind bars  and echoes Johnson's claims.

“I’ve prosecuted a number of psychopaths and killers, and one thing that is shockingly common, but not common across the rest of the world, is animal abuse,” he said.

Police have hundreds of tips, and they hope one of them cracks this case.

Investigators are searching for the kitten’s owner.

The reward for information leading to an arrest is now $21,000.

Read an earlier KIRO 7 story here.

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