Mystery animal killings continue in California as beheaded turtle and chickens found in a field outside Sacramento

Via dailymail.co.uk by Snejana Farberov

More beheaded animals have been found near the Northern California city of Sacramento, the latest in a string of mutilations since the beginning of the year.

A birdwatcher working the fields of Yolo County on Sunday found a collection of five beheaded chickens and a beheaded turtle.

Gina Knepp, who runs Sacramento's Front Street Animal Shelter, says it's the second find that included a turtle.

She suspects the remains might be related to Santeria or other religious rituals that include animal sacrifices.

‘The turtle is a sign of Santeria, based on the little I know,’ Knepp told The Sacramento Bee.

More common in Florida than California, Santeria is an Afro-Cuban religion that includes animal sacrifice. Chickens, goats and other animals are used in its rituals.


The newspaper reports there have been at least 13 separate discoveries of decapitated goats, sheep and chickens and other animals since January.

A county animal control officer went to the area of Babel Slough and South River roads shortly after the birdwatcher at 2pm called in a report of animal carcasses, a sheriff’s sergeant said.

The Sunday discovery was the first reported since a Sacramento Bee reporter March 4 found a bag of decapitated chickens along the railroad tracks at 20th and W streets in Sacramento.

The birdwatcher who made the disturbing discovery Sunday said the animal carcasses looked 'very fresh' and the blood appeared 'very red.'

The remains of the decapitated chickens and turtle were stuffed inside a brown supermarket shopping bag, which also featured simplistic yet ominous drawings.

'It looked to me like stick drawings of a head and a neck with a line drawn through it,' she said.

Earlier this month, authorities reported finding two bags containing dead animals beside railroad tracks in Midtown Sacramento.

One bag contained a beheaded rabbit with several tea candles.

A second bag held at least two decapitated chickens with their feet cut off

Two weeks ago, two decapitated chickens were found in a box along a bike trail near the Sacramento River.

Inside the box were also five blood-soaked $1 bills

The mystery began last fall, when a 120lb cow's head was found in Reichmuth Park and another one was found a few miles away at Garcia Bend Park.

Source