Investigators work to figure out if cat killed in Lacey is connected to deaths of 13 other cats

LACEY, Wash. — Investigators are working to figure out if a dead cat found in Lacey is connected to the 13 other cats that have been killed in Thurston County recently.

“I saw that he had been cut open. He had been cut open. It wasn’t an animal. It was from his groin to his sternum,” said owner Crystal Worden.

Worden believes her family's 1-year-old kitten, Mystic, was deliberately killed. She said Joint Animal Service workers agreed.

“She does believe it was done by human hands and she does believe it was part of the killings, but it’s still under investigation,” said Worden.

Mystic’s body was found Sept. 13 on Pacific Avenue near Pacific Ridge Drive in Lacey. The 13 other cats have been found across Thurston County, in Tumwater, Olympia and Lacey.

Pasado’s Safe Haven said the reward for information that leads to the cat killer is at $53,000.

Last month, Thurston County assembled its own joint task force to track down the killer.

On Thursday, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said investigators aren’t releasing new information in the case, but they confirmed they’re investigating Mystic’s death. Deputies said there’s a chance an animal is responsible, but Worden said she disagrees.

“His skull was shattered. It was just his skull. His legs weren’t broken,” she said. “It was done by a person.”

The last cat that investigators connected to the string of cat killings was found Aug. 30.

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