'Ritualistic killings' cause panic in upstate New York area - 'Blood-drained...'

Residents of an upstate New York area have been shocked by the discovery of dead birds in packets in the past few days, triggering rumours of a cult operating in the midst of them. Two roosters and a dove were found in separate locations, all decapitated and drained of blood. Such gruesome occurrences in animals are often linked to animal sacrifices, which is why people in the area think someone is involved in the devious practice. The roosters were found near Lake Carmel in Putnam County on Friday. Similar discoveries have been made in this upstate area in the past few months. The Putnam County SPCA shared a picture of the dead birds on Facebook this week and wrote, "The area where this bag was found was only a short distance from where other bags of mutilated animals have been found in recent months, possibly the result of ritualistic killings."

The white dove was found near a wooded area on Holland Drive near the lake in the town of Kent, police said. Dead birds have regularly been discovered in the region this year. News12 reported that 10 dead birds have been found in the New York area this year. In April, someone dumped two mutilated birds in a garbage bag. The gory findings have caused a scare among the residents of the New York area. One of them told News12 that it was “extremely shocking" to see dead birds in bags. Also Read: 45,000 gallons of radioactive water from Indian Point nuclear plant could be discharged into Hudson River as Holtec wins lawsuit

Animal sacrifices occur in dark practices like voodoo

Killing animals for sacrifices is commonly believed to be a part of dark practices, such as voodoo. With the police also saying that the dead birds seem to be linked to some kind of ritual, people are now almost sure that cult killings are happening around them. Meanwhile, officials say that it is hard to prove this theory unless the culprit is caught in the act. "At that moment, when they do the dumping, the only crime that’s being committed is a town ordinance or illegal dumping because we can’t prove at that moment that they did anything to the animals," Chief Ken Ross of the SPCA’s law enforcement wing told News12. To catch someone in the act, police have urged anyone with information to come forward.