He's not a 'Serial Cat Killer' After All

[The Straight Story]

He's not a 'Serial Cat Killer' After All

MIAMI (CN) - A 20-year-old man claims he was maliciously prosecuted as a "serial cat killer" in a widely publicized case that stemmed from sloppy forensic work and alarmist allegations.

All the charges were dropped, but not until after his name and photo had been published across South Florida, and he was subjected to public vilification, much of which can still be seen by a simple Internet search of his name.
...

Police reported that at least 33 cats had been killed, and Miami-Dade Animal Services said the pets had been dissected, then dropped off at the owners' homes and left in posed positions, according to the complaint.

Acting on an anonymous tip, police arrested Weinman, then an 18-year-old high school senior. Weinman says police arrested him in a desperate attempt to calm the mounting hysteria.
Weinman says government veterinarians bungled the investigation, and that his attorney proved that the dead cats had "puncture wounds consistent with bite marks of large predators, such as dogs."

He also claims that Miami-Dade Animal Services waited "more than fourteen (14) months after the arrest of Mr. Weinman, to reveal that two (2) large vicious wild dogs had been seized in the area of Cutler Bay by Animal Services the very same day (June 13, 2009) as Mr. Weinman's arrest and the end of the cat killings." (Parentheses in complaint.)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/02/03/43607.htm

[mrs_p]

1. I'm not saying one way or another

But, as a veterinary student with an interest in pathology, I really do think the vet doing the necropsy would know the difference between puncture wounds caused by a predator versus trauma caused by mutilations. It really wouldn't be too difficult to tell, right?

[davsand]

3. Large predators usually don't dissect then pose their prey, if I recall correctly.

Last edited Fri Feb 3, 2012, 04:29 PM - Edit history (1)

Bite marks are one thing, but posing the cats after dissecting them is the work of only one predator I am aware of--and it isn't a four legged one.



Laura

edited to (hopefully) correct spelling!

[mrs_p]

4. agree completely...

something fishy about the whole thing.

[iscooterliberally]

2. Here's something new that I hadn't seen before...

He also claims that Miami-Dade Animal Services waited "more than fourteen (14) months after the arrest of Mr. Weinman, to reveal that two (2) large vicious wild dogs had been seized in the area of Cutler Bay by Animal Services the very same day (June 13, 2009) as Mr. Weinman's arrest and the end of the cat killings." (Parentheses in complaint.)

This explains why the cat killing stopped when Mr Weinman was arrested. That was the one thing that really needed to be brought out, but never was. I read about this in The Miami Herald the other day, and I didn't see this information even then. I hope Mr Weinman wins his lawsuit. Thanks for the post!