An alleged criminal incident involving a dead, maimed cat found in a bag on the third floor of Margaret Nance Hall has been resolved as an unfounded claim knowingly made by the student complainant who reported it following the investigation by the Winthrop University Police Department.
The WUPD daily case log synopsis of the incident states that the officers first met with the student complainant on September 18 at 12:21 a.m., who claimed to have located the deceased, abused animal on September 17 at 8:30 a.m.
WUPD Chief of Police Charles Yearta said that the police department immediately launched an investigation into the criminal incident following the report of animal cruelty, and began interviewing individuals, gathering evidence and reviewing security camera footage.
As WUPD launched their investigation into the hard facts of the alleged incident, rumors spread like wildfire through the student body about the gruesome, exact facts of the crime, suggesting and adding violently descriptive details of decapitation and sexual abuse towards the feline victim.
Jacob Rodriguez, a second year Winthrop student and biochemistry major, said that he had heard rumors from resident assistants on campus as well as through the anonymous social media apps Fizz and Yik Yak that a cat had been beaten and abused near the fountain next to Margaret Nance Hall.
“I heard rumors that the person who reported it saw someone walking around the third floor with a dead cat, and that it had signs of physical trauma and sexual abuse,” Rodriguez said. “People on Yik Yak and Fizz were talking about trying to find the person allegedly seen with the bag until we found out that it didn’t happen.”
After interviewing several people and reviewing the total evidence, Yearta said WUPD was able to determine that the incident didn’t happen, which was also confirmed by the student complainant who made the report.
“At no time, was there a mutilated, defiled, and/or dead cat located in Margaret Nance Hall,” Yearta said.
The WUPD police chief said that the incident will be taken over and handled by the university dean of students office and that the individual who falsely reported the incident is deeply sorry for any panic caused on campus by the hoax.
“I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that we are one community and that together, we keep our campus safe,” Yearta said. “Thank you to all of the individuals who came forward in this incident with information.”
