Cat killer might be sociopath
2009-07-06 22:18
Miami - A south Florida teenager accused of killing more than a dozen cats fits the profile of a sociopath and responded with laughter when police first spoke to him about the cat deaths, a detective said in an affidavit released on Monday.
The 10-page affidavit notes that Miami-Dade County detectives used an electronic device to track 18-year-old Tyler Hayes Weinman's car and traced his cellphone before charging him with the macabre crimes.
The tracking device showed the car had stopped near places where at least two dead cats were later found. The affidavit was unsealed the same day the teen was formally arraigned in Miami-Dade court.
Not guilty
Weinman had already filed a written plea of not guilty to charges with 19 counts each of animal cruelty and improperly disposing of an animal body. He also faces four counts of burglary related to the cat deaths. If convicted, Weinman could face up to 158 years in prison.
Police believe Weinman, who has been released on bond, was behind the deaths of at least 19 cats whose mutilated bodies were discovered by their horrified owners or other concerned residents in the Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay neighbourhoods during the spring. Altogether, more than 30 dead cats were found in the neighbourhoods between April and June.
The affidavit supporting Weinman's arrest warrant details how the investigation progressed and helps explain why police grew suspicious of Weinman, whose divorced parents live in both communities.
It says Weinman, who had been expelled from two high schools, was spotted by police on surveillance in Cutler Bay after midnight on May 14 and 15. Both times, when a police detective told him about the cat killings, Weinman laughed, the affidavit says. It also says Weinman joined an online Facebook group dedicated to catching the Miami-Dade cat killer.
'Tearing sound'
During a May 15 traffic stop that led to an arrest for marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license, police also found a "cutting instrument" outside the teenager's driver's side window.
But Weinman's lawyer said none of the evidence directly connects his client to the crimes.
"It's really important to note that there's not one single witness in there that says Tyler Weinman touched a cat," said Weinman's attorney, David Macey.
Prosecutor Elijah Levitt said the affidavit "speaks for itself".
In one interview with police, the teenager reportedly became excited when he described a "tearing sound" that occurs when skin is ripped from a cat's body during dissections, according to the documents. A high school teacher told investigators that cats that are dissected in a classroom setting are prepared for the procedure, so no such noise occurs.
After consulting with staff doctors in the Miami-Dade police department's psychological services section, detectives concluded that Weinman fit the profile of a sociopath.
Macey called it "junk science" and said it will be proven false.
The teen did not attend Monday's hearing, but his stepmother and his attorney were present. No trial date was set.
Macey also filed a motion to return property seized during the investigation. A hearing was set for Friday.
Police removed box cutters, several knives, hypodermic needles and a metal dental tool, according to court documents. They also took an iPod, computer equipment, a pair of shoes and a piece of paper that contained typed directions.
- AP