Cult Linked to Killing of 3 Sheep at School

Three sheep being bred in an Antelope Valley High School agriculture class were killed Monday, apparently as part of a devil-worship ritual, authorities said.

A 16-year-old boy who helps tend the school’s flock discovered the dead animals in a campus field, said Sheriff’s Deputy Ronald Thomason.

The throat of one of the sheep had been cut, and its blood had been drained, apparently for use in cult rituals, Thomason said. The other two sheep were hit over the head with a garden rake that was found nearby, he said.

“They drained the animal, and there was no blood around . . . so somebody took it with them,” Thomason said. “It must have some significance to them.”

Thomason said spikes from the rake that were found embedded in the sheep’s heads might also have cult significance, but he said detectives have not determined who killed the animals or what cult, if any, they are connected with.

Fourteen other sheep in the field were unhurt, he said. The sheep are bred as part of an animal husbandry class, authorities said.

Authorities believe the killings took place between 5 and 6 a.m. Monday.

The killings follow at least three similar incidents at the school last year, Thomason said. In December, three or four sheep were found strangled on the campus, apparently in a cult ritual, he said.

No suspects were identified in the earlier incidents, he said.