On Thursday morning, a Missouri woman accused her daughter of strangling her dog and incinerating the remains in a fire pit as part of a “ritualistic sacrifice.”
Moberly Police responded to the scene in the early Thursday morning after receiving a call from the dog’s owner, who claimed her daughter had stolen and killed the dog.
According to court documents, Briana Lingo, 29, of Moberly, Missouri, was arrested around 4 a.m. and charged with felony animal abuse and felony stealing an animal.
Lingo’s mother told authorities over the phone that she returned home from work to find Lingo had allegedly murdered her dog as part of a “ritualistic sacrifice,” according to local media.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by KRCG-TV, police discovered the half-burned body of a terrier mix dog in a shared firepit.
According to police, the woman confessed to killing the dog, viewing it die, and burning the body twice – once at home and once at the police precinct.
According to police, she asphyxiated and then set her mother’s pup on fire. Lingo is currently being held in custody on a $15,000 cash-only bond. A bond hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on June 21.
The Humane Society of the United States reports that all 50 states have animal abuse laws that include felony provisions. The HSUS also found a strong link between intentional animal cruelty and violence against people.
