The notorious case of the “Croydon cat killer” – who is believed to be behind as many as 250 feline murders – is to be re-examined by Britain’s first forensic science laboratory to focus solely on crimes against animals.
Some of the animals will be re-examined by ArroGen Veterinary Forensics, a new service in Surrey dedicated to helping police and the RSPCA to bring prosecutions in animal-related cases, the Times reported.
The bodies of some of the cats have been stored in freezers during the hunt for the killer, who has eluded police for two years.
He is referred to as the “Croydon cat killer”, but as bodies began to turn up in other areas of London and beyond the capital, he was also called the “M25 cat killer”.
However, attacks on cats have since occurred as far afield as Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton and the Isle of Wight.
Alexander Stoll, the operations director and lead forensic veterinary pathologist, told the Times that DNA would be used to try to track down the perpetrator.
ArroGen Veterinary Forensics is a partnership between the school of veterinary medicine at the University of Surrey and ArroGen Forensics.
Dr Stoll, from the university, and Dr Jo Millington, the scientific director and lead forensic scientist at ArroGen, recognised that the lack of a service focusing on animals meant that potential prosecutions were slipping through the net.
The description of the individual believed to be behind all of the attacks was published last month on the website of the charity South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (Snarl).
He is said to be a white man in his 40s with short brown hair, dressed in dark clothing, possibly with acne scarring to his face. It also says he may be wearing a headlamp or carrying a torch.
