ESCONDIDO — An Escondido man who tortured and killed not less than 10 cats was sentenced to eight years in state jail on Friday morning on the Vista Courthouse.
Joshua Tyler Boyer, 31, pleaded responsible to 10 felony counts of animal cruelty after legislation enforcement found not less than 10 deceased felines in and round a toolshed at his household’s property on Reed Road in Escondido.
The decide sentenced Boyer to the prosecution’s requested full time period of eight years.
The San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement opened in investigation into Boyer on May 24, 2019 after a GPS tracker on a cat named Leonard who was reported lacking by his household led to the invention of the opposite cats’ stays.
Law enforcement discovered recent blood and orange hair within the toolshed, and later discovered Leonard’s GPS tracker collar within the yard of a neighbor’s property, however by no means discovered his stays. Boyer was not charged along with his loss of life.
“We will never have true closure,” mentioned Jeffrey Johnson in a sufferer impression assertion throughout Boyer’s sentencing listening to.
The Johnsons, who had been Leonard’s house owners, and plenty of others had been relieved to listen to that Boyer obtained the utmost punishment allowed beneath the legislation.
“We’re happy that he’s going to (prison) and will be there for as long as possible,” mentioned Liz Johnson. “I hope that when he gets out, he will stop his evil ways, not want to hurt any other living creature for the rest of his life and that he’s learned his lesson.”
Boyer was granted credit for time served and in-home confinement. Based on these numbers, he’ll probably serve three to 6 years for what is taken into account one of many worst instances of animal cruelty in San Diego County.
According to Lt. Regina Price, who led the Humane Law Enforcement investigation into Boyer, this case was by far the worst” of her profession.
“I will teach this case in our academy,” Price mentioned. “Hopefully, this case really stands to set a precedent for the severity of animal cruelty and being able to take these seriously.”
Boyer’s protection legal professional, Gretchen Von Helms, argued for long-term probation as a substitute of jail time, claiming his actions had been probably the results of a meth-induced psychosis following the delivery of his daughter.
Von Helms mentioned that Boyer’s spouse had needed to place the kid for adoption towards his needs, which “basically caused him to have a psychotic breakdown.”
“In Boyer’s mind, (his wife) seemed to prefer the company of their cat as opposed to their baby daughter,” Von Helms mentioned. “Because of this, he became severely depressed.”
Von Helms mentioned Boyer even sought to commit suicide, allegedly holding a gun to his head in entrance of his spouse whereas their daughter was away visiting household. At some level, Child Protective Services eliminated Boyer from the home, inflicting him to lose his job and transfer right into a toolshed on his household’s Escondido property, the place he would self-medicate with medication.
According to Deputy District Attorney Eva Kilamyan, the investigation discovered Boyer’s social media and telephone data had been “full of hate” towards folks and animals and disputed Boyer’s legal professional’s claims that he was in a drug-induced psychosis.
“This wasn’t just a one-time meth-induced moment where he did something crazy that was completely out of character for him,” Kilamyan informed the decide. “His own family members said he didn’t like cats; the whole family didn’t really like cats. He had hate in his heart and that’s what he acted with.”
The protection had requested a long-term probation interval as a substitute of jail time.
Boyer apologized to the households of his victims.
“I’ve been an animal lover my whole life – I’ve always said that I preferred animals over people, not that there’s anything wrong with people,” he mentioned.
He mentioned he acted out in “stupid ways” after dropping his spouse and daughter.
“It’s literally the biggest regret I’ll ever have,” he mentioned. “I’m extremely sorry for all the people whose pets I have hurt. I know how it feels to lose a pet, it’s one of the worst things.”
He requested the decide for probation in order that he might proceed to work and ship money for his daughter’s care. He additionally famous that no matter his sentence, what he did would hang-out him and his household for the remainder of his life.
“I understand this is going to follow me for the rest of my life,” he mentioned. “It’s an atrocity what I’ve done, and currently I can only ask for forgiveness from those whose pets I harmed.”
During the investigation, humane officers found Boyer was utilizing social media beneath false pretenses to acquire a few of his victims. Boyer additionally adopted two cats from the San Diego Humane Society.
Interviews with individuals who re-homed their cat to Boyer by means of Craigslist revealed that Boyer would declare to be a navy veteran to achieve belief of pet house owners trying to discover new properties for his or her cats.
“He prayed on multiple people, he prayed on older people who were going to nursing homes and couldn’t take care of their animals,” Kilamyan mentioned. “He used manipulation and lies to convince these vulnerable people to give him their cats.”
Loretta Bunten mentioned she received to know Boyer on a private stage and trusted him. He satisfied her to rehome her two cats to him for his grandmother, however that was a lie.
“I can’t believe that I trusted this man,” she mentioned. “I have to live with guilt of trusting him and handing my two cats over to him for the rest of my life… He does not get my forgiveness because it was disgusting what he did.”
Laurie Pellechio mentioned she frolicked with Boyer earlier than giving her beloved emotional assist cat Mai Tai – who she additionally known as Sheba, noting that he was “kind, caring and considerate.”
“I’m concerned about Josh’s future and his role in society moving forward,” Pellechio mentioned.
Kilamyan known as Boyer a sociopath and recommended his crimes had been much like these of serial killer Ted Bundy, who began by tormenting dogs and cats, and Parkland highschool shooter Nikolas Cruz, who would torture and kill chickens, squirrels, lizards and different animals.
“This is a very dangerous man,” she mentioned.
After listening to of his heinous acts – which included burning cats, piercing them with needles, capturing them with BB weapons and arrows, electrocuting them, mutilating them and leaving them out whereas trapped to endure within the warmth with out meals or water – Judge Kearney mentioned he was involved about Boyer’s “risk to society now and in the future.”
“Mr. Boyer, these acts are extremely disturbing,” Kearney mentioned. “What you have going for you, the steps you’ve taken in the interim, the addiction you’ve addressed and the counsel you received – if you continue to do these things there is a good chance you won’t come back into the criminal justice system, but that’s going to be on you. I hope you continue to get help and live a productive life.”
The San Diego Humane Society encourages anybody who suspects animal cruelty or neglect of their neighborhood to report it to the company by calling 619-299-7012. The humane society additionally encourages neighborhood members to not use unverified on-line platforms when rehoming their pets and recommend visiting sdhumane.org/rehome for vetted rehoming sources.
