'This type of behavior is a deep sickness': Rock Island family finds their missing cat butchered

cigaretteman · May 4, 2022

The grisly slaying of a family pet in Rock Island has a family concerned for the safety of their neighbors and their neighbors' pets.
Milo was a 7-year-old tuxedo cat who wandered into his family's life on Christmas Eve of 2016. On Wednesday, April 27, he was found in a neighbor's yard. He had been gutted, skinned with a knife and his pelt removed.
Rock Island police are investigating.
As often is the case with stray cats, Milo was insistent on being permitted outdoors, so Steve Havercamp's family built a cat door in their home off 30th Street in the area commonly known as Hilltop.
Milo came and went without incident until last week.

The family became concerned when he did not return as he normally would in the evening. He was neutered, chipped and wore two tracking devices. Late that evening, one of the trackers pinged, indicating Milo was nearby, but Havercamp could not find him in the dark.

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First thing the next morning, Milo's mutilated remains were found about 50 yards from his house. The scene horrified Havercamp and the animal control officer who responded. The officer was so concerned by the brutality of the attack, he contacted police.
Rock Island Police Chief Richard Landi confirmed Tuesday that an investigation is underway.

In such cases of extreme animal cruelty, concerns arise that the attacks are precursors to psychopathic behavior. In Milo's killing, Landi said, it is too soon to say.

But Havercamp said he has no doubt, given the condition of Milo's remains and a couple of other unusual details.
For instance, Milo on a previous occasion came home without one of his tracking devices. But that same tracker was left with the body. Also, the cat's kidneys appeared to be removed with considerable care. While other internal parts were missing, the kidneys were left next to the body.
"Animal control was mortified, very concerned about who would do this," Havercamp said. "We all can agree this is a sick individual who needs to be caught, so he can't do it again. I'm convinced there's one sick individual in a three-block range of us who did this."

The family is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Milo's killer. King's Harvest Pet Rescue also launched a Gofundme campaign (Justice for Milo) to bolster the reward. In the event the offender is independently identified by police or is not apprehended, the reward money will be donated to King's Harvest, which is a no-kill pet rescue in Davenport (kingsharvestpetrescue.org).
The absence of blood and fur in the area of Milo's home on College Hill Circle suggest he was killed and skinned elsewhere before his remains were returned, Havercamp said.

"This type of behavior is a deep sickness," he said. "You never want to be that one case, which Milo, unfortunately, was. We want him to be the last."