Tyler Weinman, 18, was arrested for allegedly murdering and mutilating 19 cats in the Miami area
Posted on 07/06/2009 12:14:28 PM PDT by JoeProBono
Teen who Allegedly Mutilated 19 Cats Fits Profile of Sociopath, Detective Says
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 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 cell phone 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.
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 neighborhoods during the spring. Altogether, more than 30 dead cats were found in the neighborhoods 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 south Miami-Dade cat killer.
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. At one point during the interview, Weinman took off his shirt to show authorities scratches on his body. He said the scratches came from a stray cat that he fed at his mother's house.
But Tyler Weinman's attorney David Macey was quick to point out a missing element in the report, reports CBS-4 in Miami.
"It's really important to note that there's not one single witness in there that says Tyler Weinman touched a cat. Not one witness," 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.
Tyler Weinman, 18, was arrested for allegedly murdering and mutilating 19 cats in the Miami area
Im sorry but you cannot murder a cat.
He should be punished for harming peoples’ cats but the humanization of animals is absurd.
oh who cares.
What a smug little bastid...
There’s spots in hell reserved for scum like this.
Along with starting fires, it's a classic sign of a budding serial killer. Dahmer started the same way.
If the kid did this, put him on trial and if he is found guilty - go to jail.
Cat owners should not let their pets run loose. they are just asking for trouble and are lousy pet owners.
Dog owners who let their dogs run loose are just as bad. If you own acreage or a farm then it is a different story. You are either a responsible pet owner or you are a scumbag. The “cats are different” arguement is nonsense.
That’s correct. Murder is the intentional and unprovoked killing of a human being. But this kid still is a sack o’ crap.
Exactly.
yeah, you’re right. If he shows no remorse for this, then what would it take for him to know when something is wrong?
This kid is like a car that needs service...... he is walking around with his oil light on. Someone better fix it before its too late.
Well, then, he must be guilty...
/s
This kid is evil, not troubled or any other name a psychiatrist would call him.
Toss him in jail and leave him there.
“Cat owners should not let their pets run loose. they are just asking for trouble and are lousy pet owners”
Myopic thinking. Cats running loose are needed to control rats and mice. Ask anyone with a farm or a mill. My wife worked in a cotton mill and they actually had to get cats to put in the building to control rats. The cat population was checked by rats (who eat newborns) and forklifts (that run over cats).
If you think your neighborhood is safe from rats and mice, think again. The reason we don’t let dogs run loose is because they attack people.
Some psychiatrists might brand him a 'potential dog owner'.
Thanks Joe. Now I want brie.
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