Cosby
03-06-2004, 02:20 PM
Decapitated chickens found in cemetery
By Tony Taylor | Staff Writer
tony.taylor@shj.com
Spartanburg Public Safety officer Christen Norkett was on patrol late Wednesday night in the Converse Heights neighborhood when a resident alerted her to a gruesome discovery.
Bound to a large tree in the Oakwood Cemetery, Norkett found two burned and decapitated chickens.
Norkett wrote in her report that a penny was placed on each chicken's head. Both chickens had burn marks and had been bound with duct tape.
It appeared that a third chicken had been removed from the site.
Broken eggshells were found near the scene with writing on the inside of the eggshells.
Public Safety officials are not sure whether the incident was a religious ritual or children playing a prank.
"That's what we're looking into," said Capt. Billy Norris. "Either way, someone did something to an animal that resulted in it dying."
Norris said if the culprits are found, they would be charged with cruelty to animals.
"Decapitating and burning an animal is certainly cruel," he said.
If the incident was connected to a religious ceremony, it might not be illegal.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that the centuries-old Afro-Caribbean religion Santeria, for example, is a legitimate religion and animal sacrifices are legal.
Santeria was based on West African religious practices. Slaves brought it to Cuba.
Santeria is a mixture of voodoo and Catholicism. Practitioners sacrifice roosters, pigeons and chickens during religious ceremonies.
William Heim, an English professor at the University of South Florida who has studied the occult, said the situation doesn't sound like Santeria.
In Santeria, animals sacrificed are later cooked and eaten, Heim said.
"It sounds to me a like a couple of young people who are trying to cause trouble," Heim said.
Heim said it could be the work of budding Satanists.
"It's a self-style expression of rebellion," Heim said. "It sounds like devil worshippers, and this is their attempt to intimidate."
It probably won't happen again, Heim said.
Nonetheless, residents are concerned about activity taking place in the cemetery late at night.
Ruth Fowler said neighbors have asked Public Safety to beef up patrols around the cemetery.
"There's a lot of traffic there every night after midnight," Fowler said. "I hope this will make them patrol the area more closely."
News Research Manager Chandra Placer contributed to this report.
By Tony Taylor | Staff Writer
tony.taylor@shj.com
Spartanburg Public Safety officer Christen Norkett was on patrol late Wednesday night in the Converse Heights neighborhood when a resident alerted her to a gruesome discovery.
Bound to a large tree in the Oakwood Cemetery, Norkett found two burned and decapitated chickens.
Norkett wrote in her report that a penny was placed on each chicken's head. Both chickens had burn marks and had been bound with duct tape.
It appeared that a third chicken had been removed from the site.
Broken eggshells were found near the scene with writing on the inside of the eggshells.
Public Safety officials are not sure whether the incident was a religious ritual or children playing a prank.
"That's what we're looking into," said Capt. Billy Norris. "Either way, someone did something to an animal that resulted in it dying."
Norris said if the culprits are found, they would be charged with cruelty to animals.
"Decapitating and burning an animal is certainly cruel," he said.
If the incident was connected to a religious ceremony, it might not be illegal.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that the centuries-old Afro-Caribbean religion Santeria, for example, is a legitimate religion and animal sacrifices are legal.
Santeria was based on West African religious practices. Slaves brought it to Cuba.
Santeria is a mixture of voodoo and Catholicism. Practitioners sacrifice roosters, pigeons and chickens during religious ceremonies.
William Heim, an English professor at the University of South Florida who has studied the occult, said the situation doesn't sound like Santeria.
In Santeria, animals sacrificed are later cooked and eaten, Heim said.
"It sounds to me a like a couple of young people who are trying to cause trouble," Heim said.
Heim said it could be the work of budding Satanists.
"It's a self-style expression of rebellion," Heim said. "It sounds like devil worshippers, and this is their attempt to intimidate."
It probably won't happen again, Heim said.
Nonetheless, residents are concerned about activity taking place in the cemetery late at night.
Ruth Fowler said neighbors have asked Public Safety to beef up patrols around the cemetery.
"There's a lot of traffic there every night after midnight," Fowler said. "I hope this will make them patrol the area more closely."
News Research Manager Chandra Placer contributed to this report.