Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/257374
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 2014 5 THE jury is out on the motives spurring the regular appointments for the cat killer, whose outings usually timed on or before the 16th day of a month have provided fod- der for the media, especially after the release of CCTV footage from around the Mosta church showing the agile perpetrator canvassing the church parvis at 1:30am and again at 4:30am to hang his carcasses. A surprising observation is that the prankster is being treated as a possi- ble "psychopath" by some criminal profilers who spoke to MaltaToday, and that more than one person is in- volved in the elaborate ruse. "He is a psychopath trying to at- tract the attention of the public. We also believe he is under 40," the po- lice told this newspaper. The 'cat killer' struck again on 3 February, this time around targeting a statue of St Philip on the façade of the Mosta church, whose erection was financed by one Franġisku Bu- hagiar, an 83-year-old who has long been associated with the first cruci- fixion. Another dog was found hang- ing by a lamppost on the side of the church. Police analysing the CCTV footage say the perpetrator has longish hair and was wearing a white head cap and a face-mask. Detailed analysis of the footage shows him adjusting the mask while running. Even though the case is not consid- ered to be a serious criminal offence according to law, the police still con- sider this mystery as a litmus test for their investigative skills and for the public's perception of their work. The latest act occurred just a few metres away from the Mosta police station and in the centre of the local- ity that retains a modest amount of traffic and activity in the early hours of the morning. There is the suggestion that the Franġisku Buhagiar narrative is only providing a sustained pretext for what is a very methodological and localised prank. The connection with Buhagiar has sparked theories that the octogenar- ian, who served 10 years for murder- ing his sister in 1999 after arguing over a burnt piece of toasted bread and a torn jersey, is being targeted by detractors involved in some pro- tracted family feud. In 2011, the first crucified dog pup was found hanging on the door where the murder had actually taken place. Now, the latest dead cat strung from the statue of St Philip, is the same one Buhagiar helped restore, and it also bears his name. Four notes were found in four dif- ferent discoveries of the animal cru- cifixion, the latest a note inserted just beneath cat's outer skin layer. All of the four notes deliberately refer to the Buhagiar case, their author la- menting about some inner torment provoked by having been scored by a woman, neglected by God and tortured by "the venom of people's tongues". One note goes into detail in mak- ing specific reference to Buhagiar's criminal case, going as far as to list everyone involved in the case in- cluding his lawyer, the Attorney General and the psychiatrist – all information that is publicly avail- able. In 2012, the police found a note claiming the author had engaged a drug addict to hang the crucified animals – in it the author prays to St Joseph "for the man who spent his money on drugs and alcohol not to return to collect the rest of the money". We'll do the laundry while you worry about your family 2 4 / 7 B O O K I N G S E R V I C E S 2 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 Mriehel Industrial Estate, Mriehel, BKR 3000 www.portughes.com 99 99 44 44 S M S B O O K I N G www.21444444.com O N L I N E B O O K I N G M O B I L E / T A B L E T A P P L I C A T I O N Search 'Portughes' Cat killer: prankster or psychopath? Police analysing the CCTV footage say the perpetrator has longish hair and was wearing a white head cap and a face-mask The as-yet mysterious perpetrator behind the crucifixion of cats and dogs in Mosta tends to strike on the 16th day of a month