Tampa, Florida - It was a very stinky and gruesome find - 11 animal carcasses in a dumpster behind a New Tampa restaurant. Ever since Saturday, Hillsborough Animal Services investigator Pam Perry says she's been asking herself this. "What are these bodies telling us? What are these bodies telling us?"
And it hasn't been the easiest question to answer, because the animals had been skinned, beheaded and their feet cut off.
After examining bone structure and the manner of death, veterinarians believe the carcasses are goats that had been professionally butchered. "The butchering was not done by an amateur. It was very professional," Perry said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
But why were the goats killed? Was it a sacrifice for the religion Santeria?
In years past around Tampa Bay, dead animals believed to be Santeria sacrifices have been discovered. During the 2009 Coast Cleanup, crews working along the Courtney Campbell Causeway found a beheaded goat and two chickens.
But because of the number of goats involved and the butchering style, in this case investigators are not leaning towards religion. "With 11 bodies, as opposed to one or two that you typically find in a Santeria type practice, it doesn't lend itself to that type of situation, but we haven't ruled it out," says Perry.
Instead of food for the soul, investigators believe the goats were butchered for just plain food. How or why the goats ended up illegally placed in the restaurant's dumpster is still a mystery.
A witness spotted a leased box truck and got a tag number, so deputies are now trying to track down the driver of that truck.