St. Charles An Elgin man launched violent assaults on people and cats because he wanted to get back at the world, according to court testimony Wednesday.

Edward W. Edwardsen Jr., 20, is charged with attempted murder, animal torture and other offenses for knife attacks on two people and mutilating three cats between Sept. 1 and Sept. 9, 2000.

In taped statements, Edwardsen also told police that the crimes were motivated by a grudge against his former baby sitter and drug dealers, and his feelings about women.

But no so much that I would, I didn t mean to, you know, try to kill anybody. Edwardsen said Sept. 14, 2000. Edwardsen is accused of repeatedly stabbing Jorge Amaro on Sept. 1, 2000, in the Tyler Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin and hacking Shari Raef with a hatchet on Sept. 4, 2000, in a Carpentersville neighborhood.

Both survived and testified earlier in what is expected to be a two-week trial.

Edwardsen also entered the home of his former baby sitter, Judy Hutson, and because she hurt him 6 years earlier, exacted revenge by carving her cats, according to the statements.

Earlier Wednesday, Hutson testified that she returned home Sept. 9, 2000, and found two cats Bark and Carl, had been disemboweled. Another cat, Blue, had been stabbed in the leg.

He was injured extremely bad, Hutson said of the injuries to Bark, who later died.

Edwardsen s mental state is critical in his trial. His attorneys will try to prove that he was legally insane and high on cough syrup when he committed the crimes, making him unable to distinguish right from wrong.

During the cross examination, defense attorney David Camic of Aurora blasted investigators for not ensuring that Edwardsen was not under the influence of drugs when he recounted the graphic details of the attacks.

Did it occur to you at all that something was wrong with Eddy? he asked Elgin police Detective Chris Troiola.

Edwardsen is in the Kane County Jail without bond. He could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the attempted murder charge.

If he wins with an insanity or mental illness verdict, Edwardsen could be indefinitely hospitalized at a mental health facility.

The trial continues today before Kane County Judge Donald C. Hudson and might feature opening statements and testimony from Edwardsen s defense.