Serial Cat Killer Ethan Weibman Pleads Guilty But May Be Using A Counseling Strategy To Weaken His Sentence

We posted about Ethan Weibman in August, with Do Not Adopt Warning Spreads for Accused Cat Abuser, as the warning to shelters, rescues and individuals was being more widely circulated.

Ethan Weibman was and remains the subject of Do Not Adopt To warnings spread via Facebook and Craigslist to shelters, rescuers and the public. At the very least, cats he adopts do not fare well and the warnings are thus warranted. The warnings are also important because of concerns that Weibman is a serial abuser.

The case goes back to March, when he and a girlfriend adopted a cat named Lucy from the Baltimore Maryland SPCA, then brought her dead body back two days later and wanted to adopt another cat. Red flags went up and the shelter refused to adopt to the 2o year old student, who said he didn’t know how the cat died.

“We contacted the authorities immediately,” said MDSPCA Executive Director Aileen Gabbey, and after the death was determined to have been caused by traumatic blast wound to the chest, Weibman was charged. When informed of Lucy’s cause of death finding, the accused said he had been shooting off an air rifle in his living room while the cat was in the kitchen.

Within two weeks after Lucy’s death, Weibman got a cat named Lola from an adoption event at an area PetSmart. Lola had been rescued from the streets before being turned over to the rescue group holding the adoption event. Just hours later he brought Lola to a vet, bleeding and hemorrhaging. The story he gave the vet was disputed by staff at the PetSmart, and the vet called police and animal control, and Lola was taken away from Weibman.

In addition to the charges stemming from the incidents with Lucy and Lola, Weibman is suspected in the deaths of four cats he previously owned and injuries to a fifth. It is presumed by many that other cats may have been harmed but the abuse remains undocumented.

Weibman pled guilty yesterday morning, Friday, October 28, to animal abuse in the death of  Lucy and the beating of Lola. The 20 year old was living in Baltimore at the time of his charged crimes but returned to his parents home in Westchester County NY. He boasted earlier in the year that because his family has money he would be able to beat the charges. While he has pled guilty to the charges, he still has time to avoid or mitigate punishment between now and sentencing.

Weibman’s attorney, Ronald Kurland, told District Judge Charles A. Chiapparelli that his client is seeing a psychiatrist three times a week in his hometown of Mount Kisco.  We assume that this serves a strategy by the attorney to either reduce the severity of the sentence or deflate it entirely, into counseling and probation. Judge Chiapparelli set the sentencing date, tentatively, for February 1, 2012. Weibman’s crime makes him eligible for up to three years in prison. We will see at that time whether he is made to pay for his crimes.

Weibman has been ordered to avoid having any contact with animals. Since he lives at home, his parents were  ordered to get rid of the family dog, who, to our mind, is now yet one more victim of Ethan Weibman’s actions. “Somebody has to go,” the judge said. “Him or the dog.”

Anyone interested in petitioning the court for justice for Lucy and Lola, and the unnamed and uncharged others, can click the link to sign a petition directed to Maryland’s Attorney General, We Demand Maximum Sentencing for Ethan Weibman. The petition is addressed to Maryland’s Attorney General, but will be presented to the presiding judge.

Weibman’s girlfriend, who was with him as he adopted, hurt and returned Lucy and Lola, was not charged and is no longer mentioned in reports.

The Do NOT ADOPT to Ethan Weibman Facebook page remains active.

WMAR ABC2 Baltimore news report.

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Karen Harrison Binette

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