Croydon Cat Killer
Supposed animal killer in England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Croydon Cat Killer is the name given to a hypothetical individual alleged to have killed, dismembered and decapitated more than 400 cats and various other animals across England,[3] beginning in 2014 in Croydon, South London.[4][5][6] Reports of cat deaths attributed to the killer were spread across and around London, and as far north as Manchester.[2] However, in 2018, the Metropolitan Police concluded that the mutilations had not been carried out by a human and were likely caused by wildlife predation or scavenging on cats killed in vehicle collisions,[7] a conclusion subsequently supported by further research.[8]
Date | 2014 to September 2018 |
---|---|
Location | London, later expanded to Surrey and across England[2] |
Cause | Deaths by accidents and natural causes followed by post-mortem mutilation by foxes |
Casualties | |
400+ cats |
Some experts, such as Richard Ward, a lecturer and historian of crime and the reporting of crime at the University of Exeter, have stated the view that the Croydon Cat Killer case was an example of a moral panic.[9] In December 2018, a Freedom of Information request detailed that the Metropolitan Police spent over £130,000 and 2,250 hours during their investigation.[10]