An amateur sleuth who has been on the hunt for the Croydon Cat Killer reveals the disturbing signatures she looks out for when determining if the brutal killer has struck again.
As of 2021, the so-called ‘Croydon Cat Killer’ is alleged to have killed, dismembered and mutilated 400 cats and other animals across England since 2014.
The Metropolitan Police carried out a three-year investigation into the cat killings but later concluded it in 2018 saying they were ‘probably killed by foxes’.
Officers worked with the RSPCA and local charity South Norwood Animal Rescue League (SNARL), and it was later revealed they had spent £140,000 on the investigation, including £8,000 on specialist post-mortems.
Six years later, the South London Investigation Network (SLAIN) refuse to accept their explanation and have vowed to find the fiend dubbed the ‘Jack the Ripper’ of cats.
Boudica Rising is a co-founder of SLAIN and is determined to find the killer.
Boudica Rising, a co-founder of South London Animal Investigation Network, reveals the twisted signatures of the prolific Croydon Cat Killer
One brutal attack happened in Christchurch, Dorset, in November 2021, after Emma Blehs cat Alley (pictured) went missing and was found decapitated afterwards
The Met closed their case into the Croydon Cat Killer after three years in 2018, blaming the incidents on foxes (stock image)
And in her pursuit, she divulged the tell-tale signs in identifying a victim of the fiend, including dismembered and soaking wet dead cat remains.
Speaking to speaking to YouTube channel DEEP, she explained: ‘In most cases the heads were not present at all, and in most cases both the heads and tails were missing.
‘But in some cases it was just tails or just heads, and in some cases the body was missing and the heads were placed back usually on the doorstep.
She added: ‘Some of the bodies were actually washed, and they’re absolutely soaking but it hasn’t rained.’
The amateur sleuth also explained while she has seen many dead cat bodies, she wouldn’t presume an animal had been killed by the fiend.
‘I can say yeah it looks similar but in terms of telling if it is human related or not that’s a vet that has to be able to do that,’ she said.
Explaining other signatures of the alleged serial cat killer, she said are certain areas she believes the individual returns to.
‘There are some areas where he has never killed cats in and there are some areas where he goes back to time and time again.
‘He also goes back on some anniversary dates, so I think some of the killings must have special significance to him because he goes back.
A 2018 map marked out the places the ‘Croydon Cat Killer’ was said to have dismembered, mutilated and killed cats
Ukiyo who was found dismembered near her owner’s home in the Croydon area of London
Boudicca Rising (pictured right) in 2018 with ex-partner Tony Jenkins whom she founded South Norwood Animal Rescue (SNARL) with. She now heads up SLAIN (South London Animal Investigation)
‘There are some families he has gone back and taken second or third cats from and some places where he has gone back to the same houses.’
A traditional marker of a Croydon Cat Killer victim would also be one that is found dismembered in a place it enjoyed spending the most time, whether it be a doorstep or a neighbour’s garden, Boudicca explained.
‘The traditional Croydon Cat Killer is a cat that disappears overnight, last seen around ten o’clock at night going out into the garden and is found the next morning minus head or tail.
‘Usually its in the garden of where they spent the most time. So if it spent most of its time in the neighbours garden if not it would be the owner’s garden and that is your typical scenario.’
She also divulged that there have been instances, in her opinion, where a cat has disappeared for longer than a night, a week and in one case up to two-and-a-half-years.
The animal activist is ‘9.9 per cent sure’ that the M25 Cat Killer is male, due to the nature in which he is believed to commit his crimes.
‘I am sure that our main offender is male because serial killers in the main are, and serial killers who mutilate apart from two exceptions… are men,’ she said.
Boudicca also revealed that they have some close to nabbing the serial cat killer, and in one incident were only a street away when one incident occurred.
Killings began in Croydon in 2014 and spread across London and the rest of the UK (pictured in 2021)
Graham and Karen Young’s cat Bounce was killed in June 2019, with his body being placed in their neighbours drive
Jayne Galloway’s cat Taz was found grotesquely mutilated in a neighbours garden after he went missing in October 2017
Millie (pictured) was killed at Hayling Island in December 2017
‘We also have had a couple of other incidents were patrol teams have gotten very close,’ she said.
‘We are also aware that he is aware of what we are doing and this last week we have a blackout on Twitter. We aren’t tweeting.’
This comes after an incident in November 2021, saw Emma Bleh’s cat Alley found decapitated in Christchurch, Dorset.
She believed it was the work of the ‘Croydon Cat Killer.’
The 40-year-old told the Metro at the time: ‘I have contacted the police, RSPCA and SNARL, who are investigating the cat killer.
‘They say that the fact Alley was missing her head and tail is the killer’s signature as he keeps trophies.’
She said the ‘monster’ needs to be stopped from carrying out anymore attacks.
Another cat went missing from its home in West Hill, Croydon, on October 8, 2021 and its body was found outside the family house two days later.
After a vet concluded that was deliberately killed, the shocking discovery was reported to police, according to Inside Croydon.
Its distraught owner, Jodie Albutt, posted on social media at the time: ‘It was only sheer luck that our children did not find him.’
The attack has been described as ‘truly awful’ by animal protection campaigners.
They believed that the killing has many tell-tale signs that it was carried out by the ‘Croydon Cat Killer’ and have warned pet owners to be vigilant and cautious.
Another cat was also found headless and butchered in a Crawley street during this time period.
Investigators believed the discovery, which was made on September 2, could also have been the work of the ‘Croydon Cat Killer’.
The cat killings began in Croydon in 2014 and spread across London and the wider UK area.
A 31-year-old man was arrested in January 2018 in connection with the killings but was later released.
Owners reacted with fury, including Samantha Glass and her daughter Tabitha Brown (pictured), who found their cat Harley dead at their family home
Police closed their ‘Croydon Cat Killer’ case in 2018, saying that it was ‘probably foxes’ carrying out the killings.
Owners reacted with fury, including Samantha Glass and her daughter Tabitha Brown, who found their cat Harley dead at their family home.
Ms Glass said at the time: ‘Words fail me – this is a massive fail on all accounts,’ she said. ‘We need victims to get together to march against the police.
‘What else can we do? There is countless evidence from the Met saying cats have been mutilated by a clean slice.
‘There have been decapitated heads lying across London; what happens when the killer drops back the tail to the doorstep?’
She started a social media campaign in protest, with many others coming forward saying their own cats or animals had also been killed, mutilated or dismembered.
