Man accused of torturing, killing 6 kittens, microwaving at least 1, and replacing each with a lookalike to avoid suspicion
Thomas William Martel is accused of torturing and killing six kittens, microwaving at least one, and replacing them with lookalikes to avoid suspicion.
lawandcrime.com
A 22-year-old man in Illinois was arrested this week after his girlfriend allegedly discovered that he had tortured, killed, and then replaced his kitten with a lookalike at least six times in the last three months.
Thomas William Martel — who allegedly microwaved at least one of the unlucky pets — turned himself in and was taken into custody on Monday and charged with two felony counts of animal torture and four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, authorities confirmed to Law&Crime.
Investigators with the Chicago Police Department said that Martel is believed to have killed the kittens in multiple different ways, according to an arrest report obtained by the Chicago Tribune. The methods of killing included drowning, squeezing, and mutilation “with a sharp object,” the report states.
Authorities believe that Martel has killed at least six kittens since May, but said there could be more, per the Daily Beast.
Martel allegedly told his girlfriend he “enjoyed killing cats” and that he had “been like that since he was 8 years old.”
According to CWBChicago, after the girlfriend witnessed four kittens die in Martel’s care, she went through his phone and allegedly found pictures and videos of him torturing the last cat in graphic detail. One of the videos reportedly showed the fourth “Shelly” still alive and was captioned “just before I murder her.”
