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Accused cat mutilator case - new details and findings
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Accused Cat Mutilator - Tyler Weinman - 18
(Miami - June 17) Accused serial cat killer Tyler Weinman’s case seems to be based on circumstantial evidence and might depend on the county crime lab's ability to adapt DNA and other forensic tests typically used for human victims to animals.
Investigators have provided a clear and compelling story of Weinman's guilt or involvement. Prosecutors are hoping that when taken in its entirety, the evidence will show Weinman as one of the people responsible for the torture and mutilation of at least nineteen cats. During a search of Weinman's home police found several knives hidden in Weinman's bedroom. Those knives might help to prove guilt or innocence but forensic tests involving animal blood is not routine. Police also seized Weinman's computer for forensic review of its content. Prosecutors are still waiting to learn if they can match DNA from a dead cat to possible blood found on the knives in Weinman's bedroom. However, authorities are looking at two additional people as possible accomplices of Weinman.
David Macey, Weinman's attorney, strongly denied his client was the cat killer and claims police rushed to make an arrest in order to dampen the public outcry over the killings. "Tyler welcomes his day in court so that he will be completely vindicated," said Macey.
Police started to focus on Weinman in mid-May after a tip. Detectives became suspicious of the teenager after their first interview with him. Sources say Weinman showed numerous scratch marks on his hands, arms, neck and chest, consistent with someone holding a struggling cat.
Investigators further questioned Weinman about the anatomy class he had taken at Palmetto High School that required him to dissect a cat and found his answers disturbing. In addition, Weinman traveled between his mother's house in Cutler Bay and his father's home in Palmetto Bay, placing him in the heart of where the cats were being killed.
Earlier this month police received permission from a judge to place an electronic tracking device on Weinman's car to track his movements. Those around the investigation said the car's whereabouts were consistent with the dates, times and locations of cats being dumped. Weinman did not know his car was being monitored, so when questioned he denied being in certain locations. Investigators looked at those denials as lies and considered them as possible guilt. However, detectives tried several times to conduct surveillance of Weinman, but never saw him doing anything wrong.
Based on the information they gathered prosecutors convinced a judge to grant three search warrants: one for his mother's house, one for his father's house, and one for Weinman's car. Authorities executed the warrants around midnight Saturday.
One question detectives are trying to resolve is where Weinman allegedly took the cats to torture and kill them. Police think there was a certain area or spot to kill the cats in the neighborhood. Once he was done, they believe he would return the cats to their owner's front yard. Weinman may have held onto the cats for several days before returning them but some of the owners are unsure how long the cats were missing before they turned up dead.
Police and prosecutors need to discover a “smoking gun” from the computer, blood or DNA evidence to put pressure on Weinman or an accomplice in this case and force that person to testify against Weinman.
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