"Serial Kitten Killer 'Shelly' Exposed: Accused Man Replaced Cats with Lookalikes"

A 22-year-old man from Chicago, Thomas Martel, turned himself in to the police after allegedly torturing and killing at least four cats. He is facing multiple felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and animal torture. Martel is accused of drowning, squeezing, and mutilating the cats, all of which he named Shelly. His girlfriend reported the animal cruelty after receiving a video of Martel throwing a pillowcase containing a cat into Lake Michigan. Martel admitted to microwaving three kittens and hiding them in a cabinet. He allegedly told his girlfriend that he enjoyed killing cats and had been doing so since he was 8 years old. Martel's bail was set at $7,500.