Los Angeles animal advocacy organization Last Chance for Animals issued a press release yesterday taking credit for YouTube videos posted to lure murder suspect and kitten killer Luka Magnotta online and help track his whereabouts and activity.
The animal advocacy organization says it played to Magnotta’s fascination with himself and his own notoriety when it implemented a plan to draw him out into the open to help set him up for capture by posting YouTube videos guaranteed to pique his interest. LCA says they were able to track Magnotta’s movements when repeated hits for the videos came first from France and then from Germany. They sent out the following press release on their role in the case yesterday.
Organization founder Chris DeRose used the occasion of a HLN TV interview to make the case for the connection between animal abuse and violent crimes against humans, using Magnotta as the perfect illustration.
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In an effort to track down the accused murderer and animal abuser, Luka Magnotta, Last Chance for Animals’ (LCA) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) took unprecedented steps to try and flush out the killer in a case that clearly demonstrates a link between cruelty to animals and violence toward humans.
Taking clues from the thousands of pages of pseudonyms and online posts left by Magnotta and his many pseudonyms over the years, LCA’s SIU accurately predicted Magnotta would be checking websites and videos of himself from mobile devices and cyber cafes while on the run. LCA’s SIU attempted to lure in the killer, or his companions, using covert tactics often reserved for law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
To that end, SIU investigators immediately got to work and posted a video glorifying Magnotta, dubbing him “The James Dean Killer.” The hits came quickly and word spread fast. While Luka was in France, there were several hits from that country.
A second video titled “1 Man 1 Icon” was produced to continue the facade using family photos of Magnotta that had not yet been featured in the press. While Luka was in Germany, this video recorded hits from Germany.
During the course of this investigation, contact was made with several individuals who may have been Luka, or close associates of Luka. That information was turned over to Law Enforcement.
While there has not yet been evidence presented to demonstrate that Magnotta was watching the videos produced by LCA’s SIU; when he was apprehended, reports came in stating he was watching YouTube and viewing images of himself at the time of arrest.
HLN TV host Jane Velez speaks to LCA founder Chris DeRose about the Magnotta case:
Last Chance for Animals (LCA), a national animal rights organization based in Los Angeles, has been active for nearly three decades. Founded and led by animal expert, author, and former actor, Chris DeRose, LCA’s roots began in exposing the inherent cruelty of vivisection. LCA fights for the rights of animals by conducting investigations that expose animal cruelty, launching public awareness campaigns, pushing animal friendly legislation and helping prosecute animal abusers.
