Mystery Helicopters Add to Animal Abuse Puzzle

Mystery Helicopters Add to Animal-Abuse Puzzle

Albertville-Animal owners who are finding carcasses with tongues, eyes, ears and hearts missing, have a new mystery for authorities, unlighted helicopters swooping out of the night sky.

Albertville Chief Detective Tommy Cole is among those who in the past five months reported about a dozen cases of dead, mutilated animals-cows, goats and at least one dog.

The animals were found in the pastures with no traces of automobile tracks, footprints or blood, he said.

"On Jan. 9, I went to feed my steers and realized I was one short. The sexual organs and rectum was removed and the blood was gone," Mr. Cole said. All of the killings, including that of a calf found Tuesday, were within about four miles of this northeast Alabama city.

"They take tongues, eyes, ears, hearts. Sometimes, they take blood," Mr. Cole said. He said there are no suspects.

All of the animals have been found within 150 ft of power lines. The Marshall County Sheriff's Dept. received reports Tuesday night that one or more helicopters were flying at night over pastures near Albertville. The department pilot, Jim Pickett, said he and deputy Bob Norwood went up in the county helicopter but never located another one. "We kept getting reports of a helicopter flying at tree-top level with no lights on," he said.

During the search for an unlighted helicopter, shots were fired from the ground at the sheriff's helicopter. No one was hurt. Deputy Norwood said a car signaled the department helicopter by flashing lights on and off. The helicopter flew close enough to the car to see that it was parked under power lines.

"People were trying to lure us into high tension wires. I don't think it was purposely for us," he said.

Doug Segers said he saw a helicopter forcing his 42 cattle into a corner in his pasture. He said he felt the wind and heard the engine. "The copter was behind my barn with a spotlight. Of course, I had a 30-30 rifle over my shoulder. They saw me run to my truck." he said. "The cows were scared to death. One cow is real gentle and we couldn't even get around her."

Some farmers are using spotlights and patroling their land, he said. John Strawn said he has seen helicopters land in pastures at night. He said he has 30 head of cattle, an investment of about $12,000. Mr. Strawn has organized farmers and said the group has been able to identify three turbine helicopters, one light blue and white with an orange sun, one dark blue and the other black.

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Tonight on WVTM-TV channel 13 out of Birmingham Alabama the Cattle mute was run again. Additional information is that 31 cows have now been mut in the last few months. The Sheriffs' dept. and Marshall county Rancher also report strange, black helicopters in the area at the time of some o the cattle mutilations.

Odyssey HQ received videotape of some of the mutilations late this after from some of our researchers in NE Alabama. In it was 5 mutilated cows. I must admit, the first one at first glance did not look like a 'classic mute case. The hind quarters were gone but it appeared bloody and ragged. However, it is -so- different from the others I entertain the thought the dogs or other predators -could- have gotten ahold of it after it had died and been mutilated. The other four on the video was -classic- mutilation All exhibited no blood, surgical procedure cuts and organs 'classically' The second cow, at least from the video was the most... well, terrifying A huge O was cut from the cow's abdomen starting from below the rib cage going down into the anal area. Inside this huge cut in the skin was... don't know how to explain it but it looked like someone had 'steam strip the inside of the cow. There was -no- meat or fat on the bones and the were pearly white. What few intestines, etc. left within the cow was all 'white' apparently totally devoid of blood. The next 3 pictures was tho of the classic cookie cutter type.

Late reports are that Dekalb and Marshall county Alabama Sheriffs' depts still have -no- leads on these mutes even tho 31 have now been committed has occured over a period of months in while not thickly populated, but populated regions. Police depts. will try, evidently in vain, to pursue only lead they have of mysterious black helicopters in the area during t time of the mutes and the UFOs sighted over DeKalb county.