Sheriff: "Ritualistic" Fla. triple murder may be linked to blue moon

This is weird... because it's all such bogus nonsense!!! Is someone just ignorant? Misunderstanding? Or deliberately misrepresenting?

Sheriff: "Ritualistic" Fla. triple murder may be linked to blue moon

Investigators in the Florida Panhandle are looking into the deaths of a woman and her two adult sons as a ritualistic killing that could be connected to the recent blue moon.

Intriguing, eh?

Asked to elaborate, Morgan said, "The method of the murder - blunt force trauma... [snip]... All three victims were struck multiple times with a claw hammer and had their throats slit, and Richard Smith also had a gunshot to his right ear, Morgan said."

Sounds like chaos... not a ritual. I have heard of daggars and other blades for rituals. But I've never heard of claw hammers and guns as sacred tools!

...positioning of the bodies - and our person of interest has some ties to a faith or religion that is indicative of that.

Which faith or religion? The Sheriff doesn't say -- at least not in this article -- but did make that claim in a press conference:

It’s witchcraft. I’ll say that right now. There are different factions of that.

Source: Sheriff: Triple murders center around 'witchcraft'

And other reports have specifically named "witchcraft" and "wicca."

‘Wiccan ritual killing’ during blue moon leaves 3 dead in Pensacola
“Witchcraft” Suspected in Savage Murder of Family in Pensacola

Seriously? If these news reports had cited satanic cults or Santeria, it would have made sense. But not Wicca or witchcraft. For these purposes, witchcraft means pretty much nothing. It is not a specific faith or religion, though it is loosely associated with Wicca, which is a specific faith. But Wicca has absolutely no "killling rituals" -- none, zero, nada, zilch, zip. The Wiccan Rede is to do what thy will but to harm none. These are the words they live by. I have however heard reports though that some satanists call themselves Wiccan to convert others (notably the disenfranchised -- homeless, runaway kids, etc.) since it sounds better than devil worship!

... The time of death on Tuesday also coincides with what's referred to as a blue moon, which occurs every three years."

Um, no. The murders were a few days before the blue moon. It makes no sense that a blue moon ritual would be performed any more than one day in advance -- certainly not three days. And this type of blue moon -- the second full moon in a calendar month -- happens about once a year. Although every so often, it may skip a year, but there would be two blue moons the next year (probably in January and March, due to February having only 28 days and the 29.5 day moon cycle).

Another rather odd detail is that robbery was apparently not the motive:

The station also reports that a safe containing $7,000 was found in the home.

But here's where I have to go "hmmmmmm"... although the victims are usually described as a mother and her two sons -- rather random sounding, eh? -- one of the sons worked for... wait for it... Homeland Security.

Richard Smith was employed by the Department of Homeland Security and worked at Naval Air Station Pensacola, but officials with the Naval Criminal Investigative Services "have determined there are no issues involving ... national security elements," Morgan said. That information could not be confirmed immediately with NCIS officials.

And yet, that little tidbit is almost always buried at the end of the article (if mentioned at all.)

I'm not sure what to think of all this, but it all strikes me as very weird. It may be something... it may be nothing. We may be hearing more about this in conspiracy circles... we may hear nothing about it ever again. Either way, the whole thing stinks. Big time.

a reply to: Boadicea
Wiccan supporters claiming bias in 3, 2, 1.....

As if a triple Homicide isn't sensational enough anymore. Any ritual or color of religion are just sauce for the media goose.

Serial killers are ritualized in their madness. Right now, they are laughing at the religious references….

a reply to: butcherguy

Not necessarily bias but ignorance absolutely. No Wiccan or Witchcraft sect does human sacrifice.

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: butcherguy

Not necessarily bias but ignorance absolutely. No Wiccan or Witchcraft sect does human sacrifice.

It could be a perversion of a witchcraft sect.
We hear from true Muslims that ISIS is not Muslim, but ISIS claims to be Muslim.

a reply to: butcherguy

Then it wouldn't be Wicca, would it?

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: butcherguy

Then it wouldn't be Wicca, would it?

That is a tough question, I think.
Some people don't believe that Mormons are Christians.
Are the Shia Muslim?
Are the Sunni Muslim?
There was that time way back when ... Lutherans were heretics.

I've been familiar with the areas of witchcraft for a long time and kinda have known that it is sometimes misunderstood. Popular cultural media has no doubt attributed influence to stereotypes. Blessed be.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: Boadicea
Wiccan supporters claiming bias in 3, 2, 1.....

Yup! Read the comments at any article and they're already in full swing -- as of course would be expected.

Sure followed the divide-and-conquer script... keep us fighting about side issues and we won't pay any attention to the real issues.

Everything is a ritual sacrifice, and all the groups filter down from on high. Every area is inundated with horrific cult and its how the world mismanagement team controls those under them. And there are many dates for rituals and sacrifices.

Instead of ignoring this, people have to wake up so teams can dismantle every den they find and serve and protect and rescue all their victims.

And stop them.

originally posted by: Unity_99
Everything is a ritual sacrifice, and all the groups filter down from on high. Every area is inundated with horrific cult and its how the world mismanagement team controls those under them. And there are many dates for rituals and sacrifices.

Instead of ignoring this, people have to wake up so teams can dismantle every den they find and serve and protect and rescue all their victims.

And stop them.

My apologies if I am misunderstanding you, but it seems that you are speaking about Wicca?

If so, no, you are very very wrong. Wiccans revere all life. It is a nature religion. They do not kill. They harm none. If others are using the Wiccan faith to explain/justify/misrepresent their evil deeds, it is a lie.

a reply to: butcherguy

Shia and Sunni are more aptly compared to Catholic and Protestant.

Extremists claiming any faith I generally don't acknowledge them as belonging to any faith and I don't really understand why anyone would grant them that honor unless they're only trying to justify their own hate.

Extremists claiming to be Christian, Muslim, Jewish... whatever, generally use cherry picked portions of their Holy books to justify murder and war while ignoring 99% of the rest. How anyone of them can claim a faith based on 1% or less of it's teachings is beyond me.

Meanwhile... NO Wicca tradition teaches sacrifice, let alone human sacrifice.

a reply to: Boadicea

That was one haphazard ritual-or the murderer was nuts. I'm leaning towards the latter.

The term witchcraft is as misunderstood and over exaggerated as the practice itself. Most of the media has lead people to believe witchcraft consists of grandiose rituals, altars, Ouija boards and other absurd ideas. I don't know too much about witchcraft but i'm 99 percent sure it doesn't require claw hammers and murders.

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: Boadicea

That was one haphazard ritual-or the murderer was nuts. I'm leaning towards the latter.

The term witchcraft is as misunderstood and over exaggerated as the practice itself. Most of the media has lead people to believe witchcraft consists of grandiose rituals, altars, Ouija boards and other absurd ideas. I don't know too much about witchcraft but i'm 99 percent sure it doesn't require claw hammers and murders.

Exactly! This wasn't a ritual. Granted every article I read was very short on details, but the victims were not all attacked/killed the same way -- the Homeland Security victim was the only one with a gun shot wound for example. (Did he walk-in unexpectedly?) Not what anyone would expect from a ritual in which one would expect all to be treated in the same way. They mention one "person of interest," but I would expect a ritual to involve the entire sect or cult for want of a better word. I know there are solitary practitioners... but in that case, I would expect a solitary to keep the odds in their side and find a solitary victim.

I have wondered if this was some kind of initiation into a satanic cult or even a criminal gang though. That might make more sense. Drug cartels?

a reply to: Boadicea

I have wondered if this was some kind of initiation into a satanic cult or even a criminal gang though. That might make more sense. Drug cartels?

Or someone under the influence of drugs, or maybe someone deranged enough to believe that were undertaking a ritual.

Let's not forget that this is a sheriff that has issued this statement, he might be trying to play detective. That's not his job.

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: Boadicea

I have wondered if this was some kind of initiation into a satanic cult or even a criminal gang though. That might make more sense. Drug cartels?

Or someone under the influence of drugs, or maybe someone deranged enough to believe that were undertaking a ritual.

That's very likely. If a little knowledge is dangerous, then a little knowledge on drugs would be that much more dangerous.

Let's not forget that this is a sheriff that has issued this statement, he might be trying to play detective. That's not his job.

Yes, definitely. That struck me as way out of line. Not to mix apples and oranges, but when it's an LEO under suspicion we're told that in order to protect the integrity of the investigation that details must be kept from the public... but this sheriff sure doesn't seem worried about making unfounded accusations before the investigation is complete.

a reply to: Boadicea

Yes, definitely. That struck me as way out of line. Not to mix apples and oranges, but when it's an LEO under suspicion we're told that in order to protect the integrity of the investigation that details must be kept from the public... but this sheriff sure doesn't seem worried about making unfounded accusations before the investigation is complete.

There is another thing that bugs me as well...from the source:

The sheriff did not explain the discrepancy and his office did not return a telephone call seeking clarification.

Hmmm...

There's another thing-Florida has many different cultural backgrounds, Cubans, Hispanics, etc. Perhaps the Sheriff mistakenly believed that this 'witchcraft' is somehow linked to one of those cultures because he is not familiar with those cultures. Who knows for sure.

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie

There is another thing that bugs me as well...from the source:

The sheriff did not explain the discrepancy and his office did not return a telephone call seeking clarification.

Hmmm...

There's another thing-Florida has many different cultural backgrounds, Cubans, Hispanics, etc. Perhaps the Sheriff mistakenly believed that this 'witchcraft' is somehow linked to one of those cultures because he is not familiar with those cultures. Who knows for sure.

Excellent point. Location location location, right? Some folks do seem to put all kinds of religions and practices into one lump group. To this Sheriff, they may all qualify as "witchcraft," as a general term for "heresy" or "blasphemy" or just "not mine."