Dead goats found over the weekend in Hardeeville woods spark sinister rumors. What happened?
The bodies of at least four small goats were found bloodied in the woods on Honey Hill Road over the weekend, sparking outrage and rumors online about satanic rituals. Police aren’t convinced that’s what happened.
Deputies from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office responded to the wooded area Saturday, but no report was taken because the area was in the Hardeeville Police Department’s jurisdiction, according to Chief Deputy Jeff Crosby with the sheriff’s office.
The department is investigating the incident, but a resident never called with complaints, said Hardeeville Police Chief Sam Woodward. As of Tuesday morning, there were no reports that any pygmy goats, a breed of short-limbed goats that can grow up to 23 inches tall, had been missing or stolen. No evidence was found that would suggest that someone had purposefully mutilated the goats, Woodward said.
“There was no signs the goats were ever tied up or anything,” he said. “The pictures out on Facebook shows that they were mutilated ... Well, apparently, the buzzards had gotten to them.”
The video that sparked the rumors online was posted to a members-only Jasper County community Facebook page. Commenters alleged that the genitals of the animals had been removed and that they were tortured before their death, suggesting they were sacrificed.
In the video caption, the poster said family members had found the bodies, which were still warm. The person also said additional skulls were found nearby. The post was later duplicated and re-posted on a public “community help” page.
Garbage found around the goats made police think the area is being used as a dumping ground, Woodward said.
“Apparently these people, whoever they were, threw them out there with the trash because something must have happened to them at the residence,” he said.
Woodward confirmed that additional skulls were found at the scene, but said he didn’t know whether they were goats.
David Lucas with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources said the agency is typically called about garbage dumped on public property, but not in this instance.
As of Tuesday, no necropsies had been conducted, and the bodies of the animals were still in the woods.
