8.08.2008
The Dark Magic of ...Disturbed Teens!
A string of nine severed goat heads found in northwest Florida has some pointing the finger at a "dark branch" of Santeria.
"[Dee] Thompson [director of animal services for PAWS] said those involved in the investigation have discovered a possible link between the killings and Palo Mayombe, a dark branch of the Afro-Cuban religion Santeria, whose rituals call for animal sacrifice. "It's the closest thing that I've been able to find to what's been going on," she said. For example, separating the animal's head from its body is in line with the Palo Mayombe belief that the body is not sacred."
While five paragraphs were devoted to the spooky Palo Mayombe angle, only one paragraph entertained a different scenario.
"Other than the Palo Mayombe angle, Thompson said investigators also have talked to people who raise and sell pygmy goats. She said they did receive a tip from a caller who said three teenagers between the ages of 18 and 24 came into a feed store in Panama City Beach to find out where they could purchase pygmy goats."
The "three teenagers" angle isn't mentioned again in an update, but more seemingly ritualistic details were released to the press.
"There are striking similarities about eight of the nine goats found were such that Thompson said she can link them to one person or group. However, investigators are keeping those similarities to themselves. However, there is one link that's been publicized: Most of the goats were found with cut leaves and twigs arranged in their mouths."
Leaves and twigs! It must be the dark path of Palo Mayombe! Who else could do such a thing! Who else? How about a group of disturbed teens getting their kicks?
"...rumors are surfacing of Santeria and Palo Mayombe involvement in the beheadings. "It is far more likely, even in Florida, that such activity is caused by teenagers looking for thrills or some disturbed individual, than from any Afro-diasporic religious activity," Dr. Eoghan C. Ballard, an expert on Afro-diasporic studies, said in an e-mail. Ballard said that "paleros," or Congo priests, are very discreet in their practices and prefer not to call attention to themselves. Authentic Palo practices require little in the way of sacrifice. Most sacrifices are used for celebratory meals. "From my experience, both in the U.S. and in Cuba, there are no discernable reasons for a Palero to leave a decapitated goat head on a city street," Ballard said."
But, but, what about that "dark branch"! It's, like, dark! Plus, we totally know that practitioners of Santeria sacrifice animals, and the goats had LEAVES in their mouths, so it must be dark magic, right?
"Ballard dispelled theories suggesting Santeria or Palo spells. He said when paleros use spells that require an item to be placed somewhere, it is usually small, inconspicuous and intentionally unidentifiable. As for the azaleas and plants that have been found in the animals' mouths, Ballard said azaleas have no specific meaning in Palo, although goats or rams are often given straw or grass to eat before they are sacrificed. "I suspect this is either a game someone is playing, or the work of another disturbed individual," Ballard said. 'There's nothing in Palo that would justify doing this.'"
That fact that members of Afro-Caribbean faiths sacrifice animals has been sensationalized beyond all sense and reason, often with people who have never attended a ritual (or even met a Santero or Palero) passing cursory judgment on them. Local governments have banned their rituals, and police have harassed them for engaging in legal behavior. Every time a dead animal shows up in a public space in Texas or Florida, a leery eye turns their way, and "not in our backyard"-isms run rampant. The unspoken accusation: we know you did this, even if we can't prove it.
It seems to me, and this is just an opinion, but practitioners of Santeria and other Afro-Caribbean faiths are going through something very like the "Satanic Panics" of the 1980s. Just as Pagans were getting big enough to be noticed, all sorts of nasty rumors started appearing. That we worshiped Satan, that once you were "elevated" through the ranks you learned the REAL TRUTH of our nefarious ways. That we performed blood sacrifices, held orgies, peddled drugs, and on, and on.
We were there, where our theological "cousins" in Santeria, Vodou, and other Afro-Caribbean faiths are now. We don't have to personally approve of animal sacrifice to see that their faiths are being unfairly maligned, discriminated against, and sensationalized by the media. The least we can do now is stand up and say, these people have a right to their religion, and a right to practice it freely within the law. They have a right to fair and equal treatment, and should be defended from unfounded accusations and rumor-mongering in the press. These men and women are our natural allies in fighting for the rights of minority religions, and we should be ready to stand by them.
Labels: African diasporic religion, animal sacrifice, Florida, law, Paganism, Religious Freedom, Santeria, Satanic Panic
7.10.2008
The Coral Gables Saga Continues
How would you feel if 23 police officers burst into your home, made you, your family, and your house-guests stand outside for hours, only to ascertain that you hadn't broken any laws? That is what happened to Noriel Batista one year ago in Coral Gables, Florida, after an anonymous phone-call reported suspected animal abuse. Since then, the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye has been requesting documents from the police to find out why such a massive and over-zealous police presence was necessary to respond to an animal abuse call.
"Ernesto Pichardo, president of the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, has been trying for almost a year to obtain records relating to the interruption of a Santeria ceremony by police last summer. An attorney he recently hired, David Aelion, has filed a public records request for any documents relating to the incident..."
Despite these requests, the police have only handed over around twenty pages of documents, which Aelion and Pichardo maintain is only the tip of the iceberg for a police action of that size. So a lawsuit has been filed accusing the Coral Gables police of withholding documents.
"The Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye -- which took Hialeah's ban of animal sacrifices to the Supreme Court in 1993, and won -- filed suit in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Miami-Dade County last week, comparing the City Beautiful to the communist regime in Cuba and urging the court to compel officials to provide public records. Attorney David Aelion, representing the church, said the June 2007 incident could be a direct attack to the religion because of what he called excessive police response. He wants the records -- including e-mails about the incident, photographs and audio recordings, and police reports and memorandums -- to determine if there were federal rights violations."
Aelion and Pichardo have speculated the massive response was to make a political statement that Santeria wasn't welcome in a "nice" city like Coral Gables.
"'It sounds a lot like `We're going to make a statement that this isn't going to happen in our city,' and that's where obviously freedom of religion, First Amendment rights were stepped on,'' Aelion said, adding that there also may be Fourth Amendment issues. 'They basically blasted into the house without any warrants and without any probable cause,'"
They may be right. The mayor of Coral Gables has been an outspoken opponent of Santeria in the past, and has claimed to be "investigating" the laws concerning Santeria and animal sacrifice. He has rebuffed calls in the past year for an apology over the incident. But why would he do otherwise? No doubt his power resides with the affluent, predominately white residents who are most likely uneasy about this strange religion moving in. An uneasiness rooted in racism according to Miguel A. De LA Torre, author of "Santeria: The Beliefs And Rituals Of A Growing Religion In America".
"There is a fear that is rooted in racism ... this religion is practiced by Latinos, or people of African descent. It's an element of 'Oh, look at these primitive people sacrificing animals' ... For some people, moving up the economic or social ladder means assimilation, putting away the old religion ... But then you have a generation that says, 'I will live in an upscale neighborhood, but I will also have my santos, thank you very much.'"
So it looks like this issue is only just beginning. Assuming they do get their hands on all documents and communications from that day last year, it is very likely that further lawsuits will be filed claiming violations of their First and Fourth Amendment rights, and even possible false imprisonment for holding everyone outside for hours and not allowing them to leave. If city officials were indeed trying to intimidate a religious minority, their efforts appear to be backfiring. Mayor Don Slesnick (a Democrat) is most likely hoping that the existing paper-trail doesn't lead back to his door.
Labels: animal sacrifice, Ernesto Pichardo, Florida, law, litigation, Paganism, Religion, Religious Freedom, Santeria
6.25.2008
What Will The Neighbors Think?
As practitioners of Santeria move up from lower-income and immigrant neighborhoods and into the higher social stratas, inter-religious and cultural tensions are bound to flare up. A recent example of this is making the local news in Florida. Members of the Waterford Lakes community are unhappy that animal sacrifice, legal in Florida, is taking place and neighbors are making (completely speculative) accusations of cruelty.
"Residents living in the Waterford Lakes community near Lake Underhill Road recently called sheriff's deputies after seeing people carrying live chickens into the home of Hector Febus. Febus has practiced the Santeria religion for about 30 years. "Yeah, we are not happy about that type of religion," neighbor Ron Hardbower said. "The religion itself is OK, but to have that here in this neighborhood? This is a very quiet residential area. We don't expect to see goats herded in or chickens being carried in and out." Febus said Tuesday that he was performing a healing ritual the night neighbors called police but the chicken were for food and not sacrificed."
Hardbower seems to be saying that a Santero is free to practice his religion within the law, just not in his community. Despite calling the police, and ongoing efforts by the local homeowners association to see if they can ban religiously-motivated animal sacrifice, the law (in Florida at least) is firmly on the side of Hector Febus.
"Because it's considered a religious act, sheriff deputies say they can't do anything about the issue. Now the homeowner's association is trying to find a way to resolve it ... Neighbors find it all very bizarre. Meanwhile, it seems there is little even homeowner's association can do. Their bylaws don't seem to have animal sacrifice provisions, so the HOA is weighing its legal options and letting the home's owner know what his tenants are doing in there."
Stories like this are very likely only the beginning. As Santeria continues to grow, and religiously-motivated animal sacrifice is allowed in more places (and depending on the outcome of some ongoing litigation, possibly everywhere), we will start to see some real conflicts emerge. Will differences between Christians and practitioners of Santeria escalate into intimidation, anti-Santeria local ordinances, or violence? Will the modern Pagan community, which shares many attributes with Santeria, though is often split on the issue of animal sacrifice, come to their defense? Whatever the outcome, consider this story a harbinger of what's to come.
Labels: animal sacrifice, Christianity, law, litigation, Paganism, Religious Freedom, Santeria
4.09.2008
Updates on Past Stories
Darla Wynne's Political Aspirations: Wiccan priestess Darla Kaye Wynne was not successful in her run for a seat on the Great Falls Town Council. Wynne, who famously sued the town over sectarian prayers back in 2001, garnered only 32 votes.
"A dozen candidates ran for office in this year's town election, including a former mayor, a school resource officer and the Wiccan priestess who sued the town in 2001, claiming Great Falls violated church and state separation by using the name Jesus Christ in prayers."
Wynne was in a three-way race for a vacated seat. Todd Smith won the seat with over 130 votes, while fellow contender Donna Bryan came in second with 61 votes. Meanwhile, speaking of Pagans running for political office, Sacramento, CA mayoral candidate Muriel Strand has a blog up espousing her views on various issues.
The Theological Necessity of Goats: The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has filed an appeal on behalf of Jose Merced, a practitioner of Santeria who sued the city of Euless, Texas over the issue of animal sacrifice.
"Why is it okay to butcher a deer in Euless, but not a goat?" said Lori Windham, legal counsel at the Becket Fund, a Washington-based civil rights law firm that defends all religious faiths against government interference. "The issue of Santeria and animal sacrifice has already been decided by the United States Supreme Court. I'm pretty sure the Constitution of the United States still applies in Euless, Texas."
The appeal will be heard by the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Depending on the outcome there, it is very likely this could go to the Supreme Court. For more on this development, see the Houston Chronicle's article on the appeal.
Vancouver Sex Cult: I originally blogged about this story way back in 2006. It involves a Pagan man who was denied a chauffeur's permit by the Vancouver police due to unfounded accusations that he would use his position to "recruit" people into an imaginary S&M "sex cult". Since then, the Vancouver Police Department has been trying to block the case going to a B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, a course of action that has been stuck down by the courts.
"A B.C. Human Rights Tribunal can investigate sexual practices involving "bondage, discipline and submission, sadism and masochism" to determine whether the Vancouver Police Department discriminated against a self-described pagan, the B.C. Court of Appeal says. For the past two years, the department has wasted our tax money trying to prevent the human rights watchdog from investigating a complaint from Peter Hayes, a Vancouver man refused a chauffeur's permit. The province's highest court said it would be wrong to interfere with the tribunal's process at this point and that the objections of the police force were premature."
A preliminary ruling by the Human Rights Tribunal two years ago stated the case had merit and should go forward. The VPD had argued that BDSM-activities weren't an "orientation", and therefore not protected by Canada's human rights laws, a waters-muddying exercise the courts didn't accept as valid. Hearings will now resume unless a settlement is reached.
Will Amazon Hurt Small Pagan Publishers: In a final note, news about Amazon's move to monopolize the Print-On-Demand market (and why that is bad news for small Pagan publishers) has continued to spread. For further Pagan commentary relating to this issue, check out Lupa's journal (particularly this post), and The Spiritual Eclectic's Amazon-related posts.
"We have always lived by our convictions and if not submitting to the monopoly that Amazon.com is trying to create-not just over bookstores and publishers but over the entire publishing industry-means we never sell another book on Amazon.com, then so be it. We sell primarily through our websites as it is, and we will find other alternatives to Amazon.com."
For an extensive overview of this matter, check out the WritersWeekly Amazon BookSurge Information Clearinghouse, anything you could need to know about Amazon's coercive tactics to seize control of publishing's "Long Tail".
Labels: Amazon.com, animal sacrifice, books, California, Canada, Darla Wynne, human rights, Muriel Strand, Paganism, politics, Print on Demand, Sacramento, Santeria, South Carolina, Texas
4.03.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
A Connecticut-based animal cruelty task force is leaping into action after six beheaded chickens were found in a parking lot. Some speculate the animals were the results of a Santeria ritual.
"The eight-member Task Force on Animal Cruelty and the Circle of Violence will consider a growing number of animal abuse incidents in the state and their relationship to domestic violence, child abuse and other types of aggression, said Rep. Diane Urban, D-Stonington, who chairs the task force The group hopes to report back with possible policy changes including tougher consequences that could deter animal cruelty, by late this year, Urban said ... 'There is a lot of information that indicates those who display this kind of behavior might escalate it toward wives and children.'"
While actual animal cruelty might be a warning sign for escalating violence, there is no basis for making the same claim regarding ritualized animal sacrifice in a religious context. A point seemingly lost on Rep. Urban, who conflates sacrificing chickens with dog fighting.
"Whether it's beheading chickens or dog fighting, it is an alarming sign of people not recognizing the sanctity of an animal's existence."
In reality, proper animal sacrifice pays very close attention to the sanctity of that animal's existence, something your local KFC can't claim. It should be interesting to see how this unfolds, and if the task force will target ritualized animal sacrifice in the interest of stopping animal cruelty.
The Chicago ABC affiliate reports on the publishing of "The Funniest One in the Room: The Lives and Legends of Del Close", and recounts some of the exploits of this seminal improvisational comedian.
"A small-town Kansas boy, his early life included stints as a carnie and traveling horror show assistant. Close hung out with a pre-Scientology L. Ron Hubbard, and also became the embodiment of the Beat Generation. He overcame alcohol addiction using an extreme form of aversion therapy and gave up cocaine with the help of a banishing ceremony performed by a Wiccan coven."
Considering the fact that pre-Scientology Hubbard was heavily into ritual magick, and the fact that a Wiccan coven performed a banishing ceremony for him, you have to wonder if Del Close was a practitioner himself.
It looks like the new BBC-produced television series "Merlin", starring "Buffy" alum Anthony Head, will be appearing on American network television come the Fall/Winter season.
"While most of NBC's new shows had been previously reported, Peacock surprised with its acquisition of "Merlin". FremantleMedia is distributing the series, which is being produced by Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine for the BBC. Murdoch recently acquired the Silverman-founded Reveille. BBC will air the show this fall, with NBC running it in the winter. It's a reversal of the usual Blighty-U.S. programming pipeline."
NBC will also be pulling in the supernatural Canadian drama "The Listener" and the Biblically inspired "Kings" (about a modern-day King David). Kudos to the network for pulling in some talent from Canada and the UK, lets hope it's a trend that continues.
George Phillies, a candidate for the Libertarian nomination for President of the United States in the 2008 presidential race, is courting the Pagan vote.
"Bigotry is a key theme of right-wing Republicanism, going back to the KKK and Concerned Citizens Councils," Phillies said. "Like all other patriotic Americans, Libertarians believe that Freedom of Religion is for everyone. No real Libertarian will ever ask that a religion's harmless practices be banned. This Fall, please take a stand against Republican bigotry. Please vote Libertarian."
If Phillies actually clinches the Libertarian nomination, which seems a bit unlikely at this point, he could be the first openly Pagan-friendly presidential candidate to appear on a nationwide ballot. You can head over to Phillies web site to learn more about his campaign.
In a final note, an interesting exchange is taking place on the Christianity Today web site. Rabbi Yehiel E. Poupko, Judaic Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, calls out Stan Guthrie, an editor at CT, for his endorsement of the "The Gospel and the Jewish People - An Evangelical Statement". A document signed by several prominent evangelical leaders that advocates a "loving" and "respectful" re-dedication to converting the Jews. Poupko's response is forthright, blunt, and gets right to the heart of the cultural and spiritual dilution and eradication at the heart of most monotheistic missionary efforts.
"The basis of interfaith conversation must be mutual sacred rejection, a clear understanding of the irreconcilable differences between the faith communities ... I reject what is most sacred to the Christian. I am prepared to die for it, as have my ancestors before me. The Christian rejects what is most sacred to me, and is likewise prepared to die for it. Only after respectful mutual sacred rejection, can we identify those beliefs that we share in common ... I don't want Christians to instruct me on what to believe."
At the end of the exchange, Rabbi Yehiel E. Poupko exclaims that Guthrie, as a Christian, is "capable of understanding me only in your terms." A common evangelical attitude that can deeply damage healthy dialog and relations between faiths. Poupko's refusal to acknowledge Jewish conversion attempts as "loving", while coming from a very different perspective than the Pagan one, is nonetheless an attitude shared by many who wish to grow their faiths in peace without worrying over ever-evolving evangelistic tactics to thwart that growth.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: animal sacrifice, Christianity, Del Close, evangelism, Judaism, Libertarian, Merlin, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Presidential election, Santeria, Television
3.11.2008
Updates on Recent Stories
The Theological Necessity of Goats: A Santeria priest who challenged the animal slaughter laws in Forth Worth, Texas has lost his lawsuit against the city.
"At the end of the one-day trial, U.S. District Judge John McBryde said Euless was protecting the public's health by banning animal slaughtering in the city limits but that Merced could do the rituals elsewhere ... Euless officials said they were pleased with the judge's ruling, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on Monday. "Public health is one of the most compelling interests that cities protect," said Mick McKamie, the city's attorney for the case."
Of course, their appeal to public health is completely arbitrary since the city does allow citizens to slaughter chickens in their homes. An animal just as capable of transmitting pathogens as a goat. Jose Merced is currently considering an appeal to the ruling.
Even Intolerant Fools Deserve Free Speech: Repent America founder Michael Marcavage has been found guilty of disorderly conduct by a judge in Salem. Marcavage was arrested on Halloween night, while spouting hellfire at the crowds of Pagans and merry-makers that converge on the "Witch City" every year.
"A Pennsylvania preacher who was arrested on Halloween night after defying police orders to stop using a bullhorn was found guilty of disorderly conduct yesterday and fined $200 by a judge, who said Michael Marcavage used "poor judgment" that night ... 'Halloween in Salem is a unique day of the year,' said Salem District Court Judge Michael Uhlarik. 'It's a very small community, and you have 60,000 to 80,000 people crammed into a very tight space. In this day and age, we have to be very careful of controlling crowds. It's not a question of depriving anyone of their free speech rights,' said the judge. 'It's an issue of public safety.'"
According to police, the decision to shut down bullhorn use by protest groups was made because of concerns for keeping the peace amongst an increasingly hostile and drunk crowd. Police also testified that the Repent America group were using the bullhorn in an aggressive and provocative manner (something that didn't make it into their self-serving YouTube video). Repent America promises to appeal the ruling, and has hinted that they may file a civil lawsuit.
Can You Be a Christo-Pagan in Prison: The Washington state Senate has unanimously approved a bill designed to study in-prison programs so they can more effectively build "moral character". The bill also contains a provision that seemingly protects prison chaplains from performing actions contrary to their faith, a response to a controversy created when the Washington Department of Corrections changed their policy to allow for multi-faith allegiance in prison.
"A Page One story in The News Tribune in January explored the conflict that a Catholic priest who works as a chaplain in the state prison system faced in complying with a new rule allowing inmates to select multiple religions. A bill aimed at addressing that issue has cleared the state Legislature and is headed to the governor's desk to be signed into law. Senate Bill 6400, sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Carrell of Lakewood, contained provisions to protect chaplains after hearing that Tom Suss, a longtime chaplain at McNeil Island, took a leave of absence rather than be put in a position of having to provide religious items to an inmate who claimed both Catholicism and a pagan religion simultaneously. Doing so would have gone against the tenets of his faith, Suss said."
This crowd-pleasing Republican-sponsored bill is, of course, a redundancy, since no chaplain was being forced to perform ecclesiastical duties against their wishes. In fact, Tom Suss, the chaplain this bill was designed to help, is well known for his anti-Pagan views, and his "leave of absence" tantrum stems mainly from Pagan inmates being allowed to buy Christian trinkets. The Bill is currently on the Governor's desk awaiting a signature.
Labels: animal sacrifice, Chaplaincy, Christianity, Christopagans, law, litigation, Michael Marcavage, Paganism, Prison, Repent America, Salem, Santeria, Texas
3.06.2008
The Theological Necessity of Goats
The Dallas Morning News' religion blog reminds us that March 10th will begin the first major trial case involving Santeria since the groundbreaking 1993 Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah decision. Like the famous Florida case, it involves the ritual sacrifice of animals at one's home.
"Santeria priest Jose Merced filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the city of Euless in December 2006 after officials told him he couldn't sacrifice goats at his home for a ceremony initiating a new priest. Followers of the African-Caribbean religion consider animal sacrifice as essential to Santeria as Communion is to Catholics. Euless says the killing of goats for whatever reason would violate its city-wide slaughtering ban. Last year, the city proposed a settlement that permitted the killing of chickens - which is also involved in the ceremony and allowed under the city ordinance. Mr. Merced rejected the offer, saying that Santeria would cease to exist without the sacrifice of goats as well."
Despite the fact that Merced presented police officers with a copy of the Supreme Court decision allowing for religious animal sacrifice within the home, he was still prevented from going through with the planned initiation ceremony
"...the Supreme Court of the United States held unconstitutional an ordinance passed in Hialeah, Florida that forbade the "unnecessar[y]" killing of "an animal in a public or private ritual or ceremony not for the primary purpose of food consumption." The law was enacted soon after the city council of Hialeah learned that the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, which practiced Santerķa, was planning on locating."
Further complicating Jose Merced's case is the fact that a judge ruled in January that the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act didn't apply since the city's slaughtering ban regulated only conduct, not land use. So it's going to come down to if the theological necessity of sacrificing goats at a initiation ceremony will trump a generalized slaughter ban. Working in Marced's favor is the fact that the slaughter ban isn't absolute, and permits the killing of chickens in the home, which will lessen arguments concerning public safety (chickens can carry as many, if not more, pathogens and diseases as any goat).
There is a very good chance this case will reach the Supreme Court (I can't envision either side letting the matter rest after a loss), and may settle once and for all the question of animal sacrifice for religious purposes. Making it a case that will end up being important for adherents of Santeria, as well as modern Pagan groups interested in reviving animal sacrifice. So come Monday, all eyes interested in the rights of minority faiths should be turning towards Texas.
* It should be noted that the ritually slaughtered goats are then normally cooked and eaten by participants in the ceremony. So in many ways, what they are doing could be considered far more ethical than eating a burger churned out by a industrial slaughterhouse.
Labels: animal sacrifice, law, litigation, Religious Freedom, Santeria, Texas
1.14.2008
Maybe Not A Pagan Ritual?
You'll be happy to learn that law enforcement officials in Florida are starting to doubt that "pagan" and "occult" activities are behind a recent rash of goat slayings after finding a fourth decapitated goat in the span of six months.
"The lack of blood has left investigators wondering whether the decapitations are something other than a pagan worship rite of some sort, Thompson-Poirrier said. "Either those doing this are performing very old pagan rituals, or those still making a sacrifice in this form are highly immature or unintelligent," she said."
Yes, amazingly, wholesale dishonorable slaughter of animals isn't always traced back to "pagans", the "Santeria religion", or even "Satanic cults". I guess "gang of cruel teens" isn't as "sexy" (journalistically speaking) as a strange and misunderstood religion. However, to be fair, some law enforcement officials weren't convinced of such a scenario from the beginning.
"She guessed that the incidents could be part of some "occult" ceremony, but [Police Capt. Rose] Berry wasn't so sure. "Everything that I know about animals being used in religious ceremonies, they're treated much better than just being thrown out on the road," she said."
Sounds like Police Capt. Rose Berry read a book or two before making wild guesses as to who killed these goats. Let's hope that more law enforcement officials (and journalists) follow her lead in the future.
Labels: animal sacrifice, Florida, goats, Paganism, Santeria, Satanic Panic
