The Brief
- Wicker Park neighbors are posting flyers after convicted kitten killer Thomas Martel was released from custody.
- Martel received credit for more than 1,000 days on electronic monitoring and began Mandatory Supervised Release the same day he entered prison.
- Animal advocates are launching the Shelly’s Law Coalition to push for tougher sentencing laws and reforms in felony animal cruelty cases.
CHICAGO – A Wicker Park man who pleaded guilty to torturing and killing kittens is no longer behind bars, and now residents are posting flyers throughout the neighborhood warning pet owners that he has been released.
Chicago kitten killer released from custody
The backstory:
The flyers, which feature Thomas Martel’s photo and QR codes linking to news coverage of the case, have appeared on utility poles and in neighborhood groups across Wicker Park and nearby communities.
Martel pleaded guilty last month to animal torture and aggravated cruelty to animals after prosecutors said he tortured and killed multiple kittens inside his Wicker Park apartment in 2023. Authorities alleged the kittens were drowned, mutilated and, in one case, microwaved.…