Illinois Man Allegedly Murdered SIX KITTENS - Then Replaced Them With Lookalikes

[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

A 22-year-old man from Illinois has been accused of torturing and killing several kittens – and warning, Perezcious readers, the details in this case are sickening.

According to CWB Chicago, Thomas Martel was charged with four counts of animal torture and two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals after it the brutal murder of at least six kittens was discovered. During his bail hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt recounted the horrific details of the crime – in which she alleged the Chicago roofer drowned and microwaved the cats at his home before replacing them with a lookalike.

The abuse came to light after Martel’s girlfriend contacted the police last month. According to Dale-Schmidt, the woman started to become suspicious of Thomas on May 23 when an acquaintance sent her a video of him oddly throwing a pillowcase into Lake Michigan. She then found out that inside the pillowcase was her boyfriend’s new kitten, Shelly.

A few days after Shelly’s sudden disappearance, Thomas purchased an adult male cat named Reggie and another kitten – also named Shelly. He invited his girlfriend over to his home to meet the cats on May 26. Nothing else happened for about a week until June 3. That day, Thomas had been allegedly drinking and “engaging in narcotics usage” when he put the new kitten into a tub of water. Dale-Schmidt said the girlfriend allegedly witnessed him remove an unresponsive Shelly from the water and attempt to revive it by performing CPR with his thumb.

The following day, Thomas told his girlfriend that the kitten required more chest compressions and took it into the bathroom. But ten minutes later, he came out and Shelly was dead. He then allegedly put the kitten into a bag and threw it down the trash chute. So, so awful.

Here’s where things continue to get twisted. Thomas immediately began to look on Craigslist for a new kitten that looked similar to the second one. He eventually found one in Indiana. And when he got the kitten, he named it Shelly. What the f**k?!

On June 5, Thomas came home from work and informed his girlfriend he wanted to teach the third kitten how to swim. Dale-Schmidt alleged he took it into the bathroom. Hours later, Thomas allegedly removed a bag from the pantry that contained an item “consistent with a kitten.” That’s when he told his girlfriend it was the new kitten’s body inside – before tossing her down the trash chute. And the cycle continued. As Judge Kelly McCarthy said in court:

“We’re seeing a pattern of going back again and again. Killing an animal, going out and get a replacement. Kill that one, get a replacement. Kill that one, get a replacement. And, unfortunately, this was allowed to continue for a sustained period of time and numerous animals lost their lives.”

He hopped on Craigslist again to get another kitten that looked like the others. Eventually, the girlfriend told Thomas he needed to stop. But he refused to listen and kicked her out – only to call her shortly afterward to ask for money to buy a new kitten. WTF?! He purchased a fourth kitten. And as you can guess, he named it Shelly again.

He allegedly became furious with the new cat after it urinated in its food bowl. At the time, Thomas told his girlfriend the feline needed a bath. After 30 minutes in the bathroom, he came out with the kitten wrapped in a towel and chucked it down the trash chute again. On June 7, he got another kitten named Shelly.

And it wasn’t until June 18 that his girlfriend discovered the graphic videos and pictures of Thomas with the fourth kitten. Dale-Schmidt shared the disturbing images in court, which showed the kitten still alive. However, it was captioned “just before I murdered her.” The girlfriend sent the footage to herself and then contacted the police.

Days later, she returned to Thomas’ apartment on June 23. The girlfriend discovered that Reggie was still fine – but the new kitten was missing. Inside the home, there was also a revolting odor. When she spoke with Thomas about it, he told her that he had murdered three cats in the microwave and put them in the pantry. OMG. The women looked inside the room and discovered the source of the horrific smell: a black bag on the shelf.

The couple went to bed that night. However, she called the police at one point and told officers to look inside the pantry. When the authorities cut open the bag, they discovered “multiple” parts of the kittens. This is so, so sick…

Thomas was taken in for a week-long mental health evaluation before eventually turning himself in on Monday. In court, prosecutors said he confessed to his girlfriend “he enjoyed killing cats and he had been like that since he was eight years old.” Who knows how many poor cats he’s killed since then… He also admitting to looking for new lookalike felines on Craigslist so his mother would not get suspicious.

At this time, the judge has ordered Thomas to pay $7,500 in bail. If he posts bail, McCarthy ordered that he wear an electronic monitor and be banned from obtaining, controlling, or having any contact with any animals. Our hearts just break for these cats. No animal should ever be treated to such despicable torture. Reactions to the case? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via Chicago Police Department]