Bags of Headless Chickens Found in Cemetery

More than 20 shopping bags full of slaughtered chickens were found in Berks County

It appears to be a huge case of ritual animal sacrifice in Berks County.

More than 20 bags of dead chickens were found Monday morning at Aulenbach's Cemetery, 2000 block of Perkiomen Avenue, investigators told the Reading Eagle.

The chickens' heads had been cut off, according to Dylan Heckart, from the Humane Society of Berks County, who described this case as "the biggest instance of animal sacrifice we've seen here," the humane officer told the Reading Eagle.

Detective Ray Serafin, Central Berks Regional Police, says the bags contained other types of items used in rituals involving chicken slaughter. "We think they are being slaughtered in the city then dumped out here," Serafin told the newspaper.

Since animal sacrifice is protected by the First Amendment, Heckart says they don't plan to investigate further because littering is the only actual offense committed in this incident.

Cemetery officials say this isn't the first time something like this has happened there.

Contact Us