Sean Lynde, NYC Man, Killed 4 Of Girlfriend's Cats

NEW YORK — A self-employed graphic designer methodically killed at least four of his girlfriend's cats and tortured two others while the unsuspecting woman continued to adopt new ones over a four-month period, authorities said Friday.

Sean Lynde was arrested Friday on charges including six counts of felony animal cruelty. He pleaded not guilty at state Supreme Court in Manhattan and was freed on $5,000 bond.

His lawyer, Elliot Kay, said Lynde is looking forward to a trial, not a plea deal.

"He's not going to admit to killing any cats," Kay said.

The 36-year-old Lynde returned an e-mail from The Associated Press on Friday in response for a request for comment. "Thank you for the offer, but I have nothing to say. I do, however, invite you to join us on the day my ex-girlfriend gets cross-examined," he wrote.

The woman's name was not released.

Lynde moved into his girlfriend's Upper West Side apartment on Oct. 1, authorities said. Three days later, her 15-year-old cat, Cleo, was found dead behind a dryer with her mouth full of laundry detergent and a broken jaw. A necropsy revealed the cat had head trauma from being beaten, said Joseph Pentangelo, assistant director of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

A second cat, 12-year-old Zoe, suffered extensive head trauma and had to be euthanized by the end of the same month, Pentangelo said.

In November, the woman adopted two kittens, Willie and Betty. Willie became unresponsive after his first night in the couple's home and had trouble walking because his legs had stiffened from trauma, Pentangelo said. He was returned to his adopter.

The second kitten, Betty, died Nov. 24. Lynde told the veterinarian the kitten had suffered head damage and stopped breathing after falling off a table, Pentangelo said.

The woman adopted two more kittens, Emo and Bonafide, on Dec. 18. Later that day, Emo was treated for a broken paw. He was reported missing Jan. 22.

Shortly before Christmas, Bonafide suffered trauma resulting in blindness and brain damage, Pentangelo said. The kitten's body was found Jan. 23 with its neck broken.

A tipster called animal welfare after the fourth cat's death.

Lynde will return to court at the end of September, his lawyer said.

Comments

[Evie156]

I have to say, I am so overwhelmed and pleased to see, from day one, how many men have been writing here -- and with a lot more venom for the "accused" Sean Lynde, than all the women, including me! ;-) This gives me hope for the society in general (though I doubt that the men who are speaking out come from Manhattan -- My hometown used to be great, but not anymore, since it became Bloomtown).

[Erik Jacobsen]

Why is it mentioned in the headline that he is a graphic designer? How is that relevant? It's humorous to me since I'm a graphic designer.

[misszanna]

Maybe it's because he's "self-employed" and probably not a graphic designer at all. He probably goes to the bar and draws on the back of napkins.

[justiceforanimals]

Sean Patrick Lynde, arrested Aug. 21,2009 for SIX counts of felony animal abuse. He was arrested for killing 2 senior cats and 3 kittens. 1 kitten survived but is severely brain damaged. Lynde's courtdate is September 24, 2009 at the NY Supreme Court, 100 Center Street, NY, NY. The case # is 04003-2009 and the Judge is M. Obus, part 51. The Asst. DA defending the animals is Daniele Gallo, 1 Hogan Place, NY, NY 10013. Please join us in writing Ms. Gallo and letting her know that we, the people, will not settle for Mr. Lynde being prosecuted on ALL SIX counts, NO Plea Bargains and that we expect prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, 4 years, no time off for good behavior, nothing....The Whole 4 Years. Also, prove to these 6 trusting, innocent animals that we regret their pain, fear and suffering at the hands of Lynde. Protest for the maximum penalty on Sept. 24, 2009 at the NY Supreme Court. Thank you. BTW, please cross post this to all animal sites, discussions, blogs and commentaries regarding Sean Lynde.

[CatsRule1]

Thank God she did not have any children. Same type of circumstance. What the heck was she thinking? If they lived in an apartment how else could they have been bludgeoned unless she let them roam freely in the building. Now if that is the case, anyone could have done it; maybe someone who was sick of cats roaming around, but I would doubt they would be in the halls. Better get his fingerprints and check for bodies because serial killers generally start with pets!!

[btorres]

I AGREE! What a Psychotic-Loser! Give me a bottle of Tide and half an hour with this Loser---I'll rehabilitate him.

[LateeLady]

I am not a pet person but I find this situation horrible. I don't understand why she would keep bringing more prey into her boyfriend's path after her long-term pets had been killed. I think she is just as culpable as he is for the torture and death of these pets. If you are going to have pets, you owe it to them to provide a safe, sanitary and loving environment.

[Freesia2]

She moved a monster into her home.

What puzzles me is that in a city people keep close tabs on their pets. The first cat was found behind a dryer obviously tortured. And then in short order her 2nd cat met a traumatic death. That raised no alarm bells?

I hope they throw the book at him. And frankly, I think they need to investigate her.

[mathme]

I think she had (simi willfully) the wool pulled over her eyes, so to speak, for a while. She presumably had the first two cats for over a decade with no negative outcome. I doubt she sat there and watched, let alone participated in, the beating of her pets. She probably took his explanations and excuses at face value for a while because that's what we do when we're in love. We're morons (to varying degree) when it comes to the bad in the people we love and we will gladly reframe any terrible thing that the other does until we "snap out of it."

I'm sure a lot of people have been screwed financially by someone or been treated like dirt or sat by and made excuses for a substance abuser or just those, "That's the way s/he is!" excuses for jerks. but I think the more severe the truth seems to everyone else, the stronger the dissonance and more opaque our denial is. Greatest Person I've Ever Known vs. Cat KiIIer and Torturer... not an easy gap to negotiate through normal means.

[harpen1]

This is so sad. The individual is cruel, and most likely just getting warmed up on animals.

[clsmithj]

Meh, a misdemeanor or slap on the wrist, is what I expect out of this. He's no where close to the number of cats the 19 year Florida teen had slaughtered.

[OurAnnoyingWorld]

I no longer live in NY but I'm guessing the headline in the Post read "Cat-astrophy!" or something tasteful like that?

[JohnnyKong]

I would expect no less from the NY Post/Daily News

[Zengeist]

If he's guilty, here's to him doing serious time.

[TopDog]

TopDog does not understand why someone accused of a crime has their name released to the public to suffer all the damage associated with same. If he is found innocent of the accusations the damage has already been done to his reputation. Why do we do this?

[GoDogGo]

TopDog needs to learn how to read the constitution. Transparency is the cornerstone of our justice system. Yes it issss, rawr-rawr...

[RustyGranite]

Uh.....innocent until proven guilty?

[GoDogGo]

Yeah, animal abuse is SO funny. Haw haw.

What's wrong with you?

[RustyGranite]

WTF are you talking about? Go make some Vick jokes somewhere.

[mathme]

THey should really delete responses to deleted, abusive posts... otherwise it just leaves us here confused or really wanting to know the horrible details. :)

[gifu]

They are both seemingly complicit in providing the worse home possible for adopted animals. She must be lobotomized and he should just be fed to the lions.

[DavidL88]

Thow away the key....
with both of them.

[SeaBlood]

Let's agree that the cat killer is a deranged person who might someday begin to kill people too, and should be put away. But, now, let's address the girl friend: she show signs of developing a cat-hording obsession. Such an obsession rarely has a happy ending. Nearly everybody knows of some "crazy, cat lady" who keeps on, perhaps through the goodness of her heart, taking in homeless cats. She feels good about herself for her good deed. So she continues to do it. Before she realizes, she has more than she can deal with, and yet she cannot bear the thought of getting rid of any of her "wards", because she has bonded with them. The cats eventually take over her life, which may tumble out of control into squalor and depression. If she is exceptionally lucky, friends will intervene.

[Philosim]

She wasn't hoarding cats. She got new cats when the old cats died. - were murdered.

[Bcre8ve]

This is not "cat hoarding". This woman had two elderly cats - who died.

She replaced her two companions with two more. Cats are social animals who should have a companion. Some countries, such as Switzerland, will not allow you to adopt only one cat unless you already have another at home for this reason. Cats, for the most part, are happier and healthier when they have another feline to share their space with.

When those poor, unfortunate kittens were attacked and were no longer with her she replaced them with another pair.

This is not hoarding. This is someone who, besides having a jackass for a boyfriend, seemed to be doing what is normal and recommended. She never had more than two cats in the home at the same time. I am not sure when having two cats equaled "crazy cat lady".

It is very easy to cast aspersions on other people's mental health when reading a few lines about the actions of their psychotic boyfriend in an internet news short, but that's what I expect from a dog lover.

[SeaBlood]

It's funny you should mention dogs! My dog has a "cat hoarding obsession". Every time I walk him, he brings along every neighborhood cat. We look like a zoo parade walking down the street. He's a Border Collie---they are noted for doing that.

[curious28]

The "crazy, cat lady doesn't apply here. She had 2 favorite older cats that died - no one even suggested murder at the time. She thought it was just an awful coincidence. She got 2 more. One became ill and one mysteriously died. Not wanting to believe that the boyfriend could be harming them, they got 2 more. Then the whole thing spiraled out of control. Her life has been a nightmare since then and there's that everlurking fear about what else could he do? The court has the information otherwise there wouldn't have been an indictment.

[Evie156]

SeaBlood..­.HELLLOOOO­OO! This woman was NOT a hoarder! She didn't have a CHANCE to be a hoarder, even if she wanted to be, because her liver-lipped, hairy looking Taliban wanna-be looking "boyfriend (who would sleep with him???) kept KILLING THE CATS IN PAIRS, in various sadistic ways.

[chevyval]

Whoever is responsible should be put away in a mental institute. Like, forever.

[KinkyGirl]

YES!. HANG HIM BY THE B*A*L*L*S!

[Norak]

Note that a tipster called in animal services. Where on earth was the girlfriend? I'm appalled that this is no isolated incident but cheered that it makes the papers and the perp will be prosecuted. Or perps.

[Evie156]

I suspect the "tipster" was the person who allowed her to adopt two of the kittens. She returned one when Sean Lynde said the cat was walking funny because "he fell off the counter." Today, that cat is still alive, and has irreparable neurologic damage from severe head trauma that COULD NOT have been sustained in a fall from a counter. I suspect that when she returned the kitten, the people took him to a veterinarian, who told them he was beaten, and then they reported it to the ASPCA Humane Police. What I can't understand is why they didn't contact the woman to get the other kitten back before it was murdered.