;)
Cat Killer Released on Bond
Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 5:13AM 
Tyler Hayes Weinman, 18, was arrested early Sunday morning (6/14/09). By Wednesday afternoon he was freed on $249,500 bond after going through a psychological evaluation that determined he was not a danger to himself or anyone else.
Weinman faces a multitude of charges: 19 counts of animal cruelty, 19 counts of improperly disposing of an animal body and four counts of burglary related to the mutilation and killing of 19 cats in his neighborhood. He could face a sentence of up to 158 years in jail.
Under the terms of his release, Judge Thornton said Weinman will remain under house arrest with an electronic monitoring device and will have to attend outpatient psychotherapy classes twice a week. He will be arraigned on July 6th.
One of his lawyers, Michael Walsh, said after the hearing that police have no evidence and rushed to arrest Weinman because of intense public outcry.
"My son is innocent, and I know he didn't kill the cats. That will be proven in court. He is gentle with cats, and I am truly moved by the hundreds of people who have shown their support for him," said Douglas Weinman.
The case against accused serial cat killer Tyler Weinman is based entirely on circumstantial evidence and could depend on the county crime lab's ability to adapt DNA and other forensic tests typically used for human victims to animals.
Prosecutors are hoping items found during a search of Weinman's home – including several knives discovered hidden in Weinman's bedroom – will provide them with the proof they need. Those knives may very well be the key to the case. But forensic tests involving animal blood is not routine. Prosecutors are still waiting to learn if they can match DNA from a dead cat to possible blood found on the knives in Weinman's bedroom. If prosecutors through blood or DNA evidence can link Weinman to just one dead cat, then they believe their overall case becomes much easier to prove.
The lead prosecutor on the case, Assistant State Attorney Michael Van Zamft, acknowledged they are still trying to sort out what forensic tests are possible, including possible DNA tests.
"Do I think the evidence that we collected from the search warrants will make the case stronger? Yes I do," said Van Zamft. "Do I think our case is sufficient based on the information we had before the arrest? Yes I do."
Reader Comments (5)
Maybe they haven't extended DNA testing to animal blood in routine forensic analysis, but they have definitely used the presence of animal fur as a link to tie someone to a scene. I would be surprised if they didn't find any cat fur (not belonging to his stepmother's cats) in his room with the knives. While that wouldn't be a smoking gun, it would certainly add to the case.
It would add to the case. I think this young man is extremely troubled. He is a danger to people as well as animals.
BTW, to those few of you who think animals and pets have no value, a recent AP poll showed 50% consider pets to be a full member of the family and another 36% consider them at least partial members of the family.
That's 86% placing quite high value in their pets. So, it doesn't matter what you think, to them -- 19 of them (actually more, several I'm sure were multi-family households) -- they were loved members of the family. Members tortured and returned to them dismembered.
This dude is scum. Gets off on the suffering of another (animal or human, getting off on something suffering is SICK), violated 19 families, taunted them, and stole from them. Even if you aren't a pet person, that's THEFT. Anyone who steals from 19 people deserves to be locked up for a long time. Then add the cruelty aspect.
You few who think he should get off easy are subhumans, I'm not always with the moral majority, but this is a slam-dunk case -- he's scum.
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