US News

‘CAT KILLER’ IN BAG

A Manhattan man was charged yesterday with sadistically and methodically murdering four of his girlfriend’s cats over three months — a horrific spree that investigators said was one of the worst they had ever seen.

Sean Lynde, 36, scampered out of Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday after being arraigned on multiple animal-cruelty charges that could put him behind bars for as many as 20 years.

“Animal cruelty is horrible enough, but to see it done serially compounds the chilling nature of what these charges reflect,” said ASPCA Assistant Director Joseph Pentangelo. “It’s unprecedented in recent years to see different pets abused almost on a schedule.”

Cleo, Zoe, Betty and Bonafide were the feline fatalities, prosecutors said.

A fifth cat, Emo, remains missing and was presumed dead, and another, Willie, was returned to his original owner after he was severely beaten.

Lynde, a freelance graphic designer and former roadie for alt-rock band Guster, pleaded not guilty at yesterday’s hearing, posted $5,000 bail and warned, “There are two sides to every story.

“Right now, we are hearing just one incredibly distorted one.”

The cat carnage occurred between October and December 2008, when Lynde and girlfriend Rachel Strate shared an Upper West Side apartment.

Last Oct. 4, just three days after he moved into Strate’s apartment, Lynde brought Cleo, 15, to a neighborhood vet dead from head trauma, in cluding a broken jaw and bleeding eye.

Three weeks later, he brought in Zoe, 12, who was unable to stand because of an unknown trauma. She had to be euthanized.

In late November, Strate returned an injured Willie to its original. Two days later, Lynde brought 3-month-old Betty to a different Upper West Side vet dead, saying she had fallen off a kitchen counter.

Emo, a 2-month-old male, suffered a mysterious broken paw in on Dec. 21 and subsequently vanished. Bonafide, also a 2-month-old male, somehow broke two vertebrae in his neck, slipped into a coma and died.

A veterinarian tipped off the ASPCA. Strate was not charged.

Lynde’s lawyer blamed the cats.

“These cats all had problems,” said lawyer Elliot Kay, noting they had all been on shelters’ euthanasia lists. “I’m completely convinced of my client’s innocence.”

In March, someone posted a Craigslist ad with a picture of Lynde warning, “DO NOT adopt any cats to this man or to anyone living with him — the cat will not survive.”

philip.messing@nypost.com