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Cat strangled, beaten
Lakewood, WA (US)Incident Date: Monday, Jul 4, 2011
County: Pierce
Charges: Felony CTA, Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Matthew Garrett Williams
A 19-year-old man arrested for allegedly mutilating a cat and shooting a pedestrian with an air rifle told detectives he has an admiration for serial killers and was planning to commit his own murders, according to Pierce County prosecutors.
Investigators said Matthew G. Williams admitted to his plans after he was found passed out in the driver's seat of a car stopped in the middle of a road in Lakewood.
According to police, he was wearing a black mask and sunglasses, and had a pellet rifle lying across his lap. Officers said they had received calls earlier in the day about a man matching Williams' description firing a pellet rifle at a man waiting at a bus stop.
Williams fought with the officers when they tried to get him out of the car, and police said they found .22-caliber ammunition, a rifle scope, a large machete, and a bag of marijuana in the car.
When he was questioned, Williams allegedly told investigators he purchased the air rifle thinking it was a real rifle, and said he had increasingly strong desires to murder people.
According to prosecutors, Williams said he had been preparing himself to murder people by first killing birds and squirrels. He said he eventually planned to kill homeless people or "average" white men with no family connections and had been watching videos online of people being tortured and killed.
Williams further stated that he enjoyed the "God-like" feeling he got when he tortured and killed an animal, knowing that he was inflicting pain and in control of the creature's life. He also stated that he admired several serial killers, especially Ted Bundy for his ability to murder so many people while appearing outwardly normal.
Furthermore, Williams apparently told police about how he'd previously killed his father's cat while he was gone over the Fourth of July. Court documents say Williams said he'd tried to strangle the cat, but it was taking too long, so he bludgeoned it to death with a flashlight.
Later he kept the corpse in his car for several days before finally driving it to a remote cul-de-sac and setting it on fire.
Williams drew a map for officers to find the cat's corpse, and they supposedly found a burnt mark on the road and a singed cat collar.
When investigators searched Williams' bedroom they found a knife and a collection of graphically violent stories Williams had written about murdering people, investigators said.
Williams was arraigned Tuesday afternoon on charges including felony harassment, animal cruelty in the first degree, drugs, resisting arrest, operating a car while under the influence, and well as various weapons violations. He voluntarily checked himself in to Western State Hospital.
"He's a young man and he needs help, however that's defined," said Williams' father.
Williams' next court date is scheduled for Aug. 15.
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