Animals Used in Ritual Killings: Officials
Statues, carcasses, bones, ritualistic devices found in rental home
NBC Philadelphia
A statue visible inside the front door.
Buckets of blood, bizarre statues, ritualistic symbols, hatchets, and countless animal carcasses were found as Pennsylvania SPCA officials continued to clear out evidence from a Feltonville home where dozens of dead animals and starving dogs were found Sunday.
The animal remains included those of deer, gophers, chickens, turtles, rams, sheep, a monkey and buckets of animal blood, according to officials.
Much of the animal bones and carcasses were found in a shed behind a rental property at 4840 Front St. The shed was built by the renters as a place to have ritual animal killings, said George Bengal, director of Law Enforcement for the Pennsylvania SPCA, Wednesday.
“It appears to be so, that they built this as a worship area in the back,” said Bengal.
Though officials aren’t releasing the names of the suspects involved yet, Bengal said that a man and his live-in female partner, along with another man, are among the people they are looking for in the animal killings.
The homeowner is believed to be in Mexico, according to officials.
Some of the animals were starved to death, said Bengal. Two dogs were found close to death, completely emaciated with no food or water in sight.
As SPCA officials removed evidence from the home, chicken feathers, statues, hatchets and antlers could be seen just inside the doorway (See Photo Gallery). Strange markings could be seen on the roof of the house.
The investigation continues, said Bengal.
Posted Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009 - 9:53 PM EST
