Hertfordshire Pet Cat and Rabbit Killer

Crime Officers investigating incidents where pets are being killed are appealing for information and witnesses.

 

The culprit in question, who was originally known as the 'Croydon Cat Killer or "'M25 Animal Killer", is believed to be responsible for the deaths of up to 250 cats since October 2015.

 

Most of the victims have been discovered in the London and home counties area, but attacks have been reported as far north as Birmingham.

 

  • Nov 13 - Rabbit’s mutilated body is found in owner’s garden in Longfield Road, Harpenden. November 6.
    Rabbit’s mutilated body is found in owner’s garden in Longfield Road, Harpenden. November 6.crime reference F2/17/2157 The body of the grey rabbit, which displayed several wounds, was found in a flower bed in his owner’s garden.
    Teddy’s grim remains were discovered by his owners the next morning by their young daughter’s pink Wendy house.
    The savage attack  took place between 6pm on October 30 and 9.30am on October 31
    “At this time, we cannot confirm whether this incident is being linked to the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Takahe but we are exploring several lines of enquiry. This is understandably a highly emotive subject for many people and I appreciate that they will be worried about their pets. If you are concerned, our advice would be if you have smaller pets that live outside in hutches, bring them inside or move them to a locked shed or garage overnight if possible.”

     

  • Oct 23 - The mutilated body of Taz, a male domestic shorthair, was discovered by his owner in her Potters Bar garden.
    Crime Officers investigating incidents where pets are being killed are appealing for information and witnesses.
    The animal, which had been missing since Tuesday, October 17, had suffered several wounds to its body, and a post mortem is being carried out to determine how they were inflicted.
    Inspector Pete Edwards, from the Potters Bar Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "This incident has understandably caused great distress and upset to Taz's owner and I want to reassure the people of Potters Bar and the wider community that we are taking this report very seriously.

     

  • Oct 19 - Two guinea pigs have been reported as stolen and a rabbit removed and killed. A veterinary examination suggested that the rabbit had been killed by a human. 
    Riverside Road between 9pm on Thursday, October 5 and 8am on Friday, October 6.
    crime reference C1/17/5666.

     

  • Sep 23 - Harriet Mitchell discovered her pet rabbit had been killed and had a broken neck. headless in her back garden.
    Rushton Avenue, Leavesden, Watford. crime ref C4/17/3250
    Owner discovered their pet rabbit had been killed and had a broken neck.The 32-year-old said: “I saw him at the bottom of the garden and when I touched his body, I realised he didn’t have a head.
    “I was hysterical, crying my eyes out. I shouted ‘NO’. I couldn’t physically pick him up, I froze, my body wouldn’t allow me to do it.

 

The series of killings are being investigated by the Metropolitan Police and the charity South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) under Operation Takahe.

 

A spokesperson from Herts police asked anyone with information to call 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

 

Victims' bodies are typically placed in plain site in the gardens or on the doorsteps of their homes, often with their heads or tails removed.

 

Map of killings within the M25 [wikipedia]

 

Tony Jenkins, head of Snarl, said about 250 cats and a number of foxes and rabbits had been killed in similar circumstances since October 2015.

 

The following is a list of killings reported on by the media which are believed to have been committed by the 'M25 cat killer'.

  • February 2016 - A decapitated kitten was found in East Dulwich
  • April 2016 - A decapitated cat was found in Kingston. In Archway a decapitated cat was found.
  • June 2016 - SNARL speculated that the cat killer may have claimed the 100th kill following the discovery of a decapitated cat found in Morden.
  • July 2016 - A cat was decapitated in Maidstone.
  • August 2016 - The mutilated remains of a cat were found in Otford. In Bracknell a cat was found which was cut in half.
  • November 2016 - The head of cat was found in a garden in Weybridge
  • February 2017 - A decapitated cat was found in New Malden, Kingston.
  • August 2017 - A mutilated cat was found in Caterham.
  • September 2017 - In the first five days of a week in early September the killer was linked with the deaths of seven cats.
  • October 2017 - Two cats were murdered in Chatham and Hertfordshire.

 

SNARL has previously published a description of the suspect, thought to be a white man in his 40s with short brown hair and possible acne scarring to his face.

A £10,000 reward is being offered by Peta UK and OutpacedA £10,000 reward is being offered by Peta UK and Outpaced, In February 2016, the animal rights charity PETA offered a £5,000 reward (raised from an initial £2,000 in December 2015) to anyone providing information to the police that leads to the arrest and conviction of the serial cat killer (or killers).

 

He believes the same person - referred to by the charity as the "UK animal killer" - is responsible for all the deaths.

 

"This person is a very clever psychopath, he is forensically aware, avoids CCTV and might well travel as part of his job.

 

"It is most likely Teddy was killed by this same person."

 

The Met launched Operation Takahe to investigate the links between animal deaths and last month experts at a new forensic lab in Surrey began re-examining some of the corpses for new evidence.

 

"If you are concerned, our advice would be to keep cats in after dark and overnight, and if you have smaller pets that live outside in hutches I would also advise moving them to a locked shed or garage overnight if possible,” he said.

 

 

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