A Southport woman is furious after her cat died, allegedly due to ricin found in a neighbor’s home linked to a recent murder case
Southport: A neighbor of an 18-year-old who admitted to murdering three girls last summer is claiming that the killer’s ricin also led to her cat’s death. The police found this deadly toxin in Axel Rudakubana’s room on the same day he committed the horrific crime.
Caroline McDonald, 50, is understandably upset. She feels misled by the police, who didn’t tell her about the toxin until months later. She said, “I’m angry that the police lied to us.”
She believes her cat, Jo Jo, was poisoned after wandering into a forensic tent outside Rudakubana’s house. Just a day after the cat started showing symptoms, she had to make the tough decision to euthanize him.
While health officials say ricin is low risk for humans, it seems it wasn’t the same for her cat. Caroline’s frustration is palpable, especially since no toxicology report was done on Jo Jo.
Rudakubana, who pleaded guilty to the murders, had a troubling history. He was referred to a counter-terrorism program multiple times due to concerns about his violent behavior.
After the tragic events, there’s been a lot of talk about a possible cover-up. Public figures are questioning why the information about Rudakubana’s possession of ricin wasn’t shared sooner.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced a public inquiry to figure out how Rudakubana became such a threat and why the system failed to catch it earlier.
