The reward continues to climb to help track down a serial cat killer in Thurston County, Washington.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals announced it’s donating $5,000 to the fund, bringing the total reward money to $15,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person killing cats in Thurston County.
The reward was increased again to a total of $20,000.
“An animal can’t speak, it can’t scream and it’s a vulnerable victim,” said Erika Johnson, lead investigator for Thurston County Joint Animal Services.
Becoming a voice for the voiceless, on Sunday dozens of people met in Olympia’s Decatur Woods Park to work together to keep the community safe.
The park is a spot where multiple cats’ bodies have been found mutilated, including Angi Swan’s 2-year-old cat, Callie.
“It’s been important for our family’s healing to figure out who did this and to kind of share the grief with others and find out who this person is,” she said.
Swan said Callie went missing July 3.
“Initially, we thought it was fireworks-related and maybe (she) got confused or distracted, and then apparently she was killed that night,” she said.
Callie was the fourth mutilated cat found. Swan said the person committing these awful crimes is tearing families apart.
“This person needs to turn themselves in. I don’t know what their issue is, I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but they need to be stopped,” she said.
Johnson said she’s never seen a case quite like this.
“They’re part of the family and people don’t want part of their family being taken from them and being abused,” said Johnson. “The only thing I would say to (the killer) is, 'I’m going to find you and I’m going to put you in jail.'”
Johnson said investigators are working around the clock to go through hundreds of tips. She said they have good leads on this case.
Anyone with information about this case should contact Thurston County Animal Services at 360-352-2510.
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