'Disturbing serial crime spree': 12th cat found mutilated in Olympia area

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- (KCPQ) -- A 12th mutilated cat was found in Thurston County on Tuesday and is believed linked to the others that have been carved up and displayed in public by a suspected serial cat killer, Olympia Police Lt. Sam Costello said. The manner, appearance and staging of the cat is "consistent" with the other mutilations, Costello said.

The most recent cat was found in the 3800 block of Pacific Avenue in Olympia at noon Tuesday. Costello said this occurred at a place of business, and workers left at 5 p.m. Monday and the cat's body wasn't there then. So its body must have been left between 5 p.m. Monday and noon Tuesday, he said.

The cat had the "same degree of carving, surgical-type mutilations" that make it consistent with others, Costello said. All the cats have been "splayed out" in a manner that could only be caused by a human, he said, adding that the cats appear to be "posed."

The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person mutilating cats in Thurston County was increased to $30,000, authorities said Friday

In many of the other killings, the cats were sliced open with a knife or scalpel and their spines were removed. The dead animals were then left in a public setting.