by Stephanie Haun
(Stephanie Haun included this entry in a post on Examiner.com. She's a psychotherapist, violinist...and the mother of Lucky-the-dog and many kitties, all patients of mine.)
Human-animal bond part 1: Serial cat killer in Miami
A serious and dangerous criminal has terrorized the residents of Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay in Miami-Dade County since April. His victims are first, cats, second, their people, and third, all animal-lovers in the county. To date, the number of feline victims is over 19.
He killed cats in a particularly sadistic and cruel manner. Cats are maimed, mutilated, and skinned, and often positioned in the owner’s yard. These killings are extremely traumatic for the people who find the cats, especially when the owner(s) find the cat left for them. The cat-loving community has been warning cat owners in these areas. The police are investigating the murders and have 16 officers and a county prosecutor assigned to specially investigate these crimes. A reward for information leading to the arrest of the serial cat killer was up to $10,000.00. The story has been picked up by both local and national news.
Finally, just last night, June 13th, he was caught. An eighteen-year-old teen boy living in the area.
Who would do this? What type of person can commit such violent and sadistic acts? The answer is not entirely clear, but recent research suggests that this kind of behavior often begins in childhood. One recent review of studies of childhood animal cruelty used this example: “Henry Lee Lucas was born in Blacksburg, Virginia. At 10 years of age he watched his mother's live-in boyfriend stab a calf in the neck and have sex with it while it was dying. At age 13 he began catching small animals and skinning them alive for fun. After stabbing, mutilating, and murdering women for over 30 years, at age 47, Lucas is now serving a life sentence in prison.”
Either males or females may torture and kill animals, but most of the time the offender is male. When females do it they are just as cruel, and commit similar acts to males. There is no one-size-fits-all “profile,” but the research shows that this behavior stemming from childhood is associated with “conduct disorder” which is often a child precursor to adult “antisocial behavior.” Adult anti-socials have this personality disorder, formerly known as either psychopathy, or sociopathy. The psychopath is one who commits violent acts, is often arrested and imprisoned, and shows no remorse for his victims. Such are some of the characteristics of serial killers. This does not mean that every child diagnosable with conduct disorder will do these things, and neither do all anti-socials.
When someone displays a pattern of such behavior s/he will often graduate to further or more serious cruelty, abuse, or killing. Families experiencing domestic violence are at greater risk for having an abuser abuse a family pet; sometimes this is a way for the abuser to either represent what he will do to his human victim, or the abuser may just wish to further isolate his victim from the comfort of a trusted companion animal. Children who are also abused directly, or who witness within-family abuse of people or animals are more likely to become animal abusers themselves. There is as yet no way to predict exactly which of these children will grow into later animal or person abuse. But some studies suggest that children from extremely violent families commit more serious abuse than others. Research on serial killers has demonstrated a link between animal cruelty and later serial crimes against humans.
In one study, researchers identified prison inmate animal abusers and found that the overwhelming majority of the most aggressive inmates abused cats; the number is triple the amount who abused dogs. For the cat abusers several had killed cats by hanging them, and even more had exploded cats or dogs. Other frequent methods of animal abuse included, “…limb amputation, decapitation, choking, brutal beatings, fracturing bones, and scalding with hot water...” There were reported events where abusers had tied the tails of animals together over a clothesline to see the animals fight each other. It is now considered important to consider which type of violence is committed against what animal in attempting to link childhood cruelty and later violence against humans. Other inmate studies basically support these results.
In addition to the harm befalling the cats, people are being harmed, too. It is generally known that companion animal loss for some is just as severe a trauma as loss of a human companion. People who find these cats and their owners may be traumatized severely, both by the loss, the sadistic attack on themselves, and the knowledge that this psychopath is at large. The communities are disturbed as well just from learning about these cruel, sadistic acts by the person(s) at large and acting in their neighborhoods. Other parts of the county are affected; this killer could strike in their neighborhoods next. And, there is at least a possibility that the perpetrator has already or will begin to commit violent acts against humans.
There is no known “cure” for the type and extent of the pathology exhibited by this perpetrator. But he must be stopped. Currently the police have charged him with numerous counts of animal cruelly, burglary, and other crimes. His police picture shows him with a smirk on his face. This boy lived in a nice neighborhood; his father is a dentist. It remains to be seen whether the charges will stick in court. Meanwhile, he is off the streets for now, but no one knows for how long, and whether he will "graduate" to sadistic crimes against humans.
Sources:
Haden & Scarpa (2005). Childhood animal cruelty: a review of research, assessment, and therapeutic issues, The Forensic Examiner 14.2 (Summer 2005): 23(10).
Hensley & Tallichet (2009). Childhood and adolescent animal cruelty methods and their possible link to adult violent crimes, Journal of Interpersonal Violence 24; 147.
Add Comment23 Comments
I'm glad they found a lead to this horrific crime spree. If this person is found guilty, I hope he gets the maximum prison sentence. The person who did this is completely sick and doesn't deserve to be walking around in a free society.
Jason June 18th, 2009 10:38:49 AM
Actually, he is now out on bail.
He is required to wear an electronic device and has been sent to live with another relative. His arraignment is not until July! It's difficult to tell just from the news, but apparently the forensic tests done on knives found in his room, for example, are not finished so it remains to be seen whether the prosecutor will have enough evidence to make charges stick. They put a tracking device in his car though, and it matches with several of the cat killings and areas.
Stephanie Haun June 18th, 2009 10:52:32 AM
Thank you for covering this. I am confused by the title. It says he "walks" (which usually means goes free) but then the article says he has charges pending. Although I wish he wasn't out on bail, being out on bail isn't quite the same thing as "walking" if I understand the term correctly -- doesn't it usually connotate having charges dropped or else receiving a totally ridiculous lenient sentence?
Please tell me neither of those things have happened yet.
Thanks also for pointing out the gender thing. The gender-violence connection must be a cultural no-no to discuss, and anytime you bring it up, people talk about Susan Smith or the rare female suicide bomber (who is usually trying to impress some guy). But those cases are so few and far between that they are the memorable exceptions that prove the rule. Which is not to say that women are't or can't be cruel to animals, but women or more likely (for some reason) to be guilty of hoarding or other "neglect" type abuse, whereas men are the ones who almost always are the perpetrators of the violent crimes, whether against humans or animals.
We need a national plan of attack to address the problem with men and violence, rather than "pretending" it doesn't exist simply because it seems politically incorrect to acknowledge that it does.
Stefani June 18th, 2009 11:24:27 AM
Stefani: No he's not 'free' and yes, I embellished. ;-) But he did technically "walk" in that he's on the street again--for now. Scares me that someone facing at least 19 felony counts for 19 separate violent crimes isn't kept in the system longer--just because they're cats.
Dr. Patty Khuly June 18th, 2009 12:53:03 PM
I am not thrilled that he's out on bail, but he has not "walked" in the normally understood sense of that term. He is bail. There's a tracking device on him, and another on his car. Forensic tests are proceeding.
And we have trials for a reason. The fact that the circumstancial evidence seems to be strong doesn't automatically mean he is guilty, or that we could safely skip the trial.
On the other point, there have been genuine, honest-to-goodness female serial kilers, and their histories tend to look just like male serial killers. They are much rarer than male serial killers, though. An interesting tidbit is that male serial killers are often very effective at charming and deceiving women, but men tend to see something "off" about them, even if they can't always put their finger on what bothers them. And the reverse with women serial killers: men find them charming, women think there's something off about them, even if they can't quite figure out what's bothering them. (Which is, tangentially, a reason to have your relatives of the same gender as your new sweetie meet that person before you get in too deep, and consider carefully what their reactons are.)
Lis June 18th, 2009 01:35:48 PM
I would love to see this creep put away for 19 years, but that's unlikely. But here's what could happen:
Numerous consecutive suspended sentences, contingent on him remaining in therapy, maintaining employment, not being arrested again, if applicable, completing high school...
and if he violates his conditions, THEN he goes away for the full sentence. Then you'll have an answer for people shrieking about the judge who "lets drug dealers go but puts a first offender away for killing cats." (I'm wagering he's a first offender for them to have released him this quickly.)
This guy will not be able to keep his nose clean, no way.
SusanR June 18th, 2009 03:23:53 PM
This young man needs to be locked up. Not free on bail. His crimes are obviously escalating and one can only guess where they will escalate to. Hw should be kept locked up, not shipped off to another relative. Hope those relatives don't have any pets, or small children....
LorriM June 18th, 2009 03:29:52 PM
"Just because they are cats" has to stop. This guy is a sick individual. as related in the above article:
There is no known “cure” for the type and extent of the pathology exhibited by this perpetrator. But he must be stopped. Currently the police have charged him with numerous counts of animal cruelly, burglary, and other crimes. His police picture shows him with a smirk on his face. This boy lived in a nice neighborhood; his father is a dentist. It remains to be seen whether the charges will stick in court. Meanwhile, he is off the streets for now, but no one knows for how long, and whether he will "graduate" to sadistic crimes against humans.
I doubt that anyone will ever know why he has the need to be this cruel, but he is now and will remain so.
He needs to be put away from pets and people.
PaulineB June 18th, 2009 05:26:52 PM
From what I can find on line, it does seem the terms of Tyler Weinman's bail are ridiculously lenient. However, we operate under a presumption of innocence (for good reasons) and an arraignment within 3 weeks (if it isn't delayed) is reasonable. I did see reference to 33 cats rather than 19 and I'm guessing we'll hear more about that. Saying this young man (I dislike him being called a "teen") "walked" is more likely premature than an embellishment.
We desperately need to do more about violence in our society. While the incidence of female perps is believed to be much lower, it is also possible that they aren't caught as often precisely because of the presumption that they are less likely to have committed the crimes. We all like our privacy and many of us live in smaller families now. The down side to that is that we are under less scrutiny, acting out may not be recognized for much longer and, even if it is, the smaller family is less likely to correct the behavior. Single mothers are buried enough trying to survive and really resist the allegation that their children are becoming a problem. It isn't fair that a single mother often bears the entire rearing of the child/ren but it's the modern fact and it puts us all at risk when they* want to put on rose colored glasses. I suspect we'll be hearing this as a part of Tyler's story too.
*I say "they" because my son is now grown. However, I was a single parent of a smart, strong willed boy. I know how tempting it is to don those rose colored glasses but it is a short term answer that will not serve the mother or the child/ren in the long run. Tyler's mom and dad should share in his shame if he did these atrocities.
PJBoosinger June 18th, 2009 05:40:22 PM
I have been following this story closely and was shocked the other day when I was reading the editorials in the Miami Herald. The father of a friend of Tyler wrote that his son was upset that the police could just enter a party and take him away. The father went on to say that Tyler is innocent and now his life is ruined over "a few dead cats". That may not be the exact quote but it is concerning that this man would be so quick to defend his son's friend rather than take the opportunity to explain to his son why you need to follow the law. After all, it has been a known fact that Tyler has been already been arrested 3 times and has been seen on his skateboard at 2:00 in the morning. Probably not someone you want your children hanging out with. If Tyler is indeed guilty of the crime I hope the punishment is fitting because it would be a shame to see him out on the streets in 6 months or less.
Mary June 18th, 2009 06:44:18 PM
"Weinman's parents, divorced in 2006, each resided in the two affected neighborhoods." Yeah, that's just a great big coincidence! http://www.miamibeach411.com/news/index.php?/news/comments/serial-cat-killer/
I believe strongly in the presumption of innocence; balanced with a very speedy trial...
PJBoosinger June 18th, 2009 07:48:57 PM
"The elder Weinman... said the boy's stepmother owns nine cats." And there's the trigger.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-cat-killing-arrest-061409,0,5653275.story
PJBoosinger June 18th, 2009 07:58:13 PM
This little punk should still be in jail. Even if he's proven guilty, let's face it, he'll get a slap on the wrist after he boo-hoos about some tragic event from his childhood (like his parent's divorce). I heard his dad say on the news that he couldn't have done it because he was an animal lover, and then talked about the 9 cats in the house. That's the thing about serial killers. They can compartmentalize. On the same program they talked about several serial killers who were also volunteers, worked in nursing homes, with the elderly, and were considered downright charming (Ted Bundy). How about locking him up now, before he decides cats are too easy, and moves on to more challenging prey?
KB June 18th, 2009 09:24:57 PM
I frankly don't care whether this young man's father is governor of Florida. Unfortunately, there seem to be different rules for different folks. IF this young man has done what he is accused of, then he has very serious problems that need to be dealt with. Sorry, but a lot of people survive childhood tragedies without mutilating animals. He needs to be prevented from ever harming another living creature again.
It breaks my heart to think of what those cats and their owners have gone through.
When I was still teaching I had a badly disturbed young man (elementary school age) who was torturing animals. Mother didn't want to hear it or deal with it and until the classroom pets they "took care of" over weekends and vacations (middle school) started dying. Even then, she was in total denial. And this boy will escalate if not stopped.
Just sad . . .
dottie June 19th, 2009 08:39:28 AM
This young man has some serious problems - the biggest one might just be his parents' total denial. Any kid who is out skateboarding at 2 AM has at least one parent who isn't providing proper supervision. I wonder how his father would feel if one of his current spouse's cats ended up skinned and posed on the lawn?
2CatMom June 19th, 2009 05:43:58 PM
Hokay, this is really awful, I can barely read it, and would explain why my kids are currenly traumatised by stories about cat torturings and mutilations - these incidents or similar ones are doing the rounds in the grapevine of the young.
The ALDF (Animal Legal Defense Fund) has compiled abundant data to show that animal abuse is not just a PRECURSOR crime to abuse and murder of fellow humans, it is a PARTNER crime. All, or nearly all serial murderers have a history of animal abuse.
In other words, this kid is a danger to humans and animals. He needs the kind of help you can only get when you're locked up for a very, very long time. I'm not optimistic about rehabilitation, but human and animal society needs to be protected from people like this (not to mention the fact that somebody like this should never have the opportunity to father children of his own...)
brebis noire June 19th, 2009 06:10:04 PM
Actually, I belong to the ALDF, too. I am not at all intending to criticize them, especially by proxy, because it is an absolutely phenomenal organization doing a lot of good for animals.
But, from the psychological side it would be inaccurate to say that it is always a precursor to human murder, or a partner crime. The research supports an association but cannot absolutely say that animal abusers will hurt humans. It's a complex issue and the various studies use different research questions, differing methodologies and differing definitions for measuring animal abuse or cruelty. I have observed firsthand that many violent prison inmates have histories of animal abuse. I've also seen many cases where even the most violent offenders will harm everyone BUT animals. There are so many factors it remains to be seen if there ever will be a way to actually reliably predict human harm from someone's history of animal harm. But in cases like this one, when the pattern is so consistent, the crimes so sadistic, the positioning of the bodies, and even the putting of one of the cats in the police officer's yard is indeed consistent with behavior of human serial killers.
If Tyler Weinman is the serial cat killer, he definitely should be followed very closely.
Stephanie Haun, M.S.Ed., J.D.
Stephanie Haun June 20th, 2009 10:08:31 PM
Thanks Stephanie. I would have to wonder then, if it is just a question of opportunity for abusers, or motivation. If they are "satisfied" with abusing animals, they may not move on to humans. Of course I am skeptical about "every single one" - but there is enough overwhelming evidence to say that animal abuse is enough of an indicator of someone being a serious danger to human animals as well.
I don't doubt that many violent offenders will not hurt animals - in the same way that many will not hurt children, or women. Others will only hurt women, etc.
But not all violent offenders are sadistic serial murderers either.
brebis noire June 21st, 2009 07:11:55 AM
I know it's completely obvious that everyones sees he or who ever (that is not for me to say) did this to hurt the animals and ESPECIALLY the owners. What happens when the prey is to easy? No.... I don't think that's the complete question at hand. What happens when watching people's expressions after seeing their dead cat in their yard doesn't fill his appetite. He/She wants to see pain, a lot of it. If this is the right person, no wonder he has no problem smiling in his mug shot. He knows he's proud of what he did I believe. Quite honestly if he does walk and I consider walking being allowed to be on probation with a leg moniter... he better be sent to another place where people want him. I will fight for my justice. I don't want this kid anywhere near my city because I know what the serial cat killer wants and is truly capable of. It isn't fair that others should have to worry if he lives in their neighborhood.
Truly Saddened June 22nd, 2009 04:59:54 PM
Makes me miss my father. He tolerated no cruelty to animals. He was a very meek and measured man in many respects, tolerating a lot of ill treatment from other humans. But seeing kids abuse animals would push a button in him and it didn't matter who the kids were, he would confront them. I inherited the gene. My mother learned it from him, or else came into it later. I was never so proud of her as the day she called me to tell me she slapped a kid she saw beating his dog, right in front of the drugstore. Cops came, interviewed her, she had witnesses to his abuse, cops let her go. Yeh, I know -- didn't do any good as long as the kid got to keep his dog. Still, my heart was glad. Says volumes about me, not all of it good, but WTF.
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