Satanic Ritual Blamed After Headless Animals Found In West Texas Desert

Authorities in El Paso, Texas, believe something sinister was behind the 15 animal carcasses left near an intersection on Monday.

The decapitated and gutted sheep and goats were found near Dyer Street and Railroad Drive by a resident who called 911.

"It did not look like the portions for eating were removed from the goats. The bodies seem intact," Capt. Ray Spears, a game warden with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, told KVIA.

"Satanic rituals, blood removal, possibly. Not a common occurrence to see that many goats dumped like that."

The church of Satan pushed back on the warden's suggestion that satanism was behind the crime.

"This is not a Satanic ritual. Satanism is an atheistic religion which directly prohibits harming animals, as such there are no rituals which involve sacrificing anything. This claim is irresponsible and puts people in danger," the group wrote on Twitter.

Authorities are investigating this as a possible case of animal abuse.

"The ACIU (Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit) has been assigned the case of the discovery of animal carcasses. Anything beyond that at this point is purely conjecture and not based on any investigative conclusions," police spokesman Sgt. Enrique Carrillo told the El Paso Times.

This isn't the first time animal parts have been found in El Paso. In early April, cow organs were found hanging from a tree in a local park. Police concluded that no crime was committed because the organs were likely purchased at a butcher shop.

Photo: Getty Images