Copycat? Feline found beheaded in Thurston County

Another cat has been found murdered and mutilated in Thurston County, this time via beheading. It is unknown if it is related to the infamous cat killer that struck the region last year.

Could Washington’s cat killer become the region’s next serial killer?

According to Sgt. Roland Weiss with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the new body was discovered Sunday. A woman’s daughter reportedly found the head of a cat on top of a chain-link fence surrounding a retention pond in Maple Park, just southeast of Lacey. Weiss said a picture of a cat, torn from a “Missing Cat” flyer was posted directly above the head.

This method of mutilation differs from the string of cat killings that occurred last summer when 13 cat murders were believed to be the work of one individual.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of just a head being recovered,” Weiss said. “The deputies were not able to locate the rest of the cat nearby.”

Weiss said catching the individual(s) involved is a priority for the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s a pretty important case to us,” Weiss said. “We know there are links between animal cruelty and criminal behavior of other sorts that might be more harmful to humans, so it would be good to catch these people early before they do something really bad.”

Two sides to Bellevue’s notorious cat with a long rap sheet

Back in September, the reward for Thurston County’s infamous cat killer was raised to $53,000. We’ve reached out to Thurston County’s Animal Services division to confirm if they believe this is a different individual. If more information becomes available, this article will be updated.