Solved: Killer of 7 Kennewick cats is identified

A mystery that has terrorized cat owners across the Tri-Cities for more than six weeks and drawn a $4,000 reward has been solved.

The killer of at least seven cats in Kennewick was not a human, but a coyote.

Officials at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine identified the serial killer, though it was not said if it was the same coyote.

Kennewick police detectives had sent some of the mutilated remains to the Pullman campus in an attempt to determine how they were killed.

“The findings from WSU determined the cats died as a result consistent with coyote predation,” Kennewick police Lt. Aaron Clem said in a news release Monday.

The cases is now closed.

The first report came May 28 and led Kennewick investigators in search of a suspect.

Over the following weeks, more cats were found beheaded or cut in two in various neighborhoods around the city.

Police had said they appeared to have been killed with a sharp blade.

Officers started checking security camera footage from those neighborhoods in an attempt to identify the suspect. Residents also called in numerous tips to police.

The Tri-Cities Animal Shelter and Control Services had advised people to keep their cats inside or use a harness and leash if let outside.

Joel Watson, the owner of Just Joel’s restaurant in Kennewick, offered a reward for information leading to the culprit. Others pitched in on the reward, including a $1,000 donor.

Monday, Watson said in a Facebook post that he plans to return the money to those who helped out, otherwise will apply it toward his “next do-good adventure.”

“We want to thank everyone who offered their assistance during this investigation,” said Clem.