Criminal Profiler Pat Brown on the Carol Daniels Murder Case

September 02, 2009

Yesterday, I brought you the story of Carol Daniels, a 61-year-old pastor who was recently found dead inside her Anadarko, Okla., church. According to police, the victim died as a result of "multiple sharp force injuries." It was also discovered that several wounds had been inflicted post-mortem – after she died. Perhaps most shocking of all, police say the killer had posed the victim's body in a "crucifix position." Hearing all these details might lead you to believe that there is much to interpret from the crime. However, according to Pat Brown, a well-known investigative criminal profiler, that may not be the case.

"It looks like [we have] a lot of information, but it actually leaves me with more questions than conclusions," Brown said in an interview with Investigation Discovery. "For example, the police say the body was staged, and if it was, the cross position obviously would correlate to her work as a minister. But, I can't determine if this is something to analyze until I am sure she really was in a cross position and that she didn't end up that way by accident. Sometimes detectives can see things in a way that the perpetrator didn't really have in his mind at all … Let's say we find her body was staged, laid out in the form of a cross. I would still need more details to determine if the guy hated Christians or he just hated this woman and laid her out that way to mock her."

So what about the fact that the victim was nude – does that tell us anything? According to Brown, it actually tells us very little.

"I can't say at this point if the killer had sexually assaulted her, removed her clothes to destroy evidence, or just wanted to own a nice religious frock," she said.

In regard to the victim's post-mortem wounds, Brown says those too are in question.

"These wounds could be post-mortem or they could be ante-mortem [made just before death]. The person who wrote [the report] didn't analyze the wounds properly. They could be perimortem, meaning happening at the time of death and getting us a bit confused. When the wounds occurred does make a difference in determining what kind of character we are dealing with … If the slash wounds are post-mortem, this shows a level of rage, a 'ha-ha, I did you in and I can destroy you even more after death. You can't stop me.' But what does the rage come from? Did she tick the killer off the week before? Or did she just make him mad fighting off a rape or robbery?"

In an effort to catch the killer, Brown says that it is of the utmost importance to look at the victim's lifestyle, personal and business relationships and her daily routine.

"Victimology must be done," Brown said. "Who is this pastor? Who does she know? What is her routine? Who came to her church? Did she carry money? Did she help drug users and homeless men? What kind of people were in the area and who did she serve?"

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New details released in Florida kitty serial killer case

July 09, 2009

A Florida judge has ordered Miami-Dade County prosecutors to make public the arrest affidavit for Tyler Hayes Weinman, an 18-year-old man from Palmetto Bay, Fla., who was arrested last month for his alleged involvement in a series of cat mutilations and killings that occurred in two South Florida communities. The arrest affidavit details 19 of the cat killings and also explains the events and circumstances that ultimately led to Weinman's arrest.

According to the affidavit, investigators had their first contact with Weinman in the early morning hours of May 14. Weinman was walking in the area of Whispering Pines Road in Cutler Bay, when an officer stopped and questioned him. During the brief interview, Weinman was informed of the cat killings, to which he allegedly responded by laughing.

An anonymous source later contacted police and informed them that they saw Weinman walking in the same neighborhood at about 3:00 a.m. Three hours later, a mutilated cat was reportedly found "several feet" from where Weinman had been observed.

The following day, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Weinman was again spotted in the area, this time skateboarding in the direction of Palmetto Bay. He was approached by police a second time and warned about the cat killings, to which he again allegedly responded by laughing. Later that day, police conducted a traffic stop on Weinman when he failed to stop his 2000 Honda Civic at a red light. During the course of the stop, officers found a discarded cutting instrument on the ground near the driver's door. Officers also found a bag containing 1 gram of marijuana. As a result, officers transported Weinman to the Cutler Bay police station, where they booked him on a drug charge and questioned him about the cat killings.

During questioning, investigators noticed Weinman had a "red-colored scratch" on his neck. When questioned about the scratch, Weinman stated that he got it from a stray cat at his mom's house. When asked about other scratches he might have, Weinman said that he had one on his back that he received when a cat climbed on him.

"Weinman was eager to show your affiant these scratches, at which time he removed his shirt and allowed photographs to be taken," the affidavit reads.

During further questioning, Weinman allegedly admitted knowledge of the cat killings and offered information about a biology class he had taken at Palmetto Senior High School, in which students are required to dissect a dead cat.

"Weinman further stated that cats can no longer be obtained for purposes of dissection from a source within the United States," the affidavit reads. "Weinman stated that Mexico is the only source for cats used for the purpose of dissection. Weinman described the size of the felines obtained from Mexico and specified that he had researched the issue and that he learned of the source on the Internet. Your affiant noted that Weinman became excited and animated as he described the cats supplied from Mexico."

Upon sharing his knowledge about the source of feline specimen's, Weinman allegedly demonstrated various methods of dissecting cats and described a "tearing sound" that is made when a cat's skin is torn from its body.

"He elaborated when describing the dissection techniques beyond that which was taught at Palmetto Senior High School that seemed to be consistent with personal experience," the affidavit reads.

When asked what tools the cat killer might be using, Weinman allegedly said he did not know, but suggested they would be "very well hidden." When asked how the cats were being captured, Weinman reportedly said, "They have to be either tranquilized or poisoned."

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Case against accused serial kitty killer based on circumstantial evidence

June 17, 2009

A judge in Miami has approved the supervised release of Tyler Hayes Weinman, an 18-year-old man from Palmetto Bay, Fla., who was recently arrested for his alleged involvement in a recent series of cat mutilations and killings that occurred in two South Florida communities. In addition, new details have surfaced, suggesting Weinman's arrest was based on circumstantial evidence.

During today's court hearing, Judge John Thornton said that the results of a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation showed that Weinman does not pose a danger to himself or the public.

"He is competent to proceed and does not, at this time, appear to be at risk of harming himself or others," Thornton said.

Per the conditions of his release, Weinman must attend psychiatric counseling twice a week and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet while he awaits trial.

"He's an innocent man," said his attorney, Michael Walsh. "There's no evidence. Obviously, there's been a public outcry to solve this crime, and you know that motivates police in certain directions. And now this young man has to sit there and bear the allegations. When the case starts to unfold, you'll see."

Weinman's divorced parents, Douglas and Aiba Weinman, posted his $249,500 bond.

"I'm absolutely sure that he is innocent," Doug Weinman told television reporters outside the courtroom. "Because I've raised a son for 18 years and I know who he is."

Weinman's lawyer and parents are not the only ones claiming he is innocent. Numerous social networking groups have been popping up on the Internet in support of him, and earlier today, the CBS4 I-Team raised serious questions about the case against Weinman, which they say is based "entirely on circumstantial evidence."

According to I-Team sources, a mid-May tip led police to focus on Weinman. When investigators first questioned him, they observed scratch marks on his body, which they felt were consistent with injuries someone would receive while holding a struggling cat. Of further interest to investigators was a "disturbing" description he allegedly gave them regarding a cat dissection that occurred in an anatomy class he had taken at Palmetto High School. Police used this and other circumstantial evidence to convince a judge to allow them to place a GPS tracking device on Weinman's car.

The police tracking device allegedly showed that Weinman was in certain areas that were consistent with the dates and times of the cat killings. When later questioned about his movements, Weinman – unaware of the tracking device – allegedly denied he was in those areas. Investigators found the denials suspicious; however, the areas also include routes he would reportedly travel between his parents' houses.

Based on the above and other unreleased information, investigators secured the search warrants for Weinman's parents' houses and his car. Police allegedly found several knives hidden inside his bedroom, which they confiscated, along with other miscellaneous items, including clothing and a computer, and sent off for forensic testing. Prosecutors are now waiting to see if tests on the knives or clothing come back with a positive match to blood from one of the murdered cats.

It remains unclear why police took Weinman into custody before getting the DNA test results back from the lab. Perhaps public pressure and evidence unknown to the public led them to make that decision. Despite the reason, much of their case appears to depend on the results of the forensic testing. If that is truly the situation, prosecutors appear to have taken a risky gamble, which could result in the unnecessary destruction of an innocent man’s reputation. For the sake of justice, let's hope this does not happen.

Regardless of how circumstantial the evidence against Weinman is, some owners of the feline victims remain convinced of his guilt and are unnerved by his unexpected jail release.

"It's disturbing that they would let him out, knowing that he has killed so many cats," Alicia Glatzer, whose cat, Sarah, was found dead in early May, told the Associated Press, adding, "Although he says he's innocent and his attorney says he's innocent, there haven't been any cat killings since he's been in jail. It's a concern of mine that he's let out, that's he's back on the street."

Weinman was arrested Sunday and charged with 19 felony counts of animal cruelty, 19 misdemeanor counts of improperly disposing of an animal body, and four felony counts of burglary related to the cat deaths.

Since May 11, at least two dozen domestic cats have been found dead in the Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay areas. Many of the feline victims were gutted and skinned, while others were found drained of blood and missing limbs.

Weinman is expected to appear in court for his arraignment on July 6. If convicted on all felony counts, he faces a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000 and six months in prison on each count.

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Related Link:
Florida Police Seek Kitty Serial Killer
Florida Police Arrest Tyler Hayes Weinman in Kitty Serial Killer Case

Photo Credit: Tyler Hayes Weinman: Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office

Please note: Persons appearing in mug shots may not have not been convicted of the charges for which they are accused and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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