Police: Mom Claims Daughter Killed Dog, Burned It Alive as ‘Sacrifice’

A woman in Moberly, Missouri, was charged for allegedly killing a pet dog and burning it as a “sacrifice,” ABC 17 reported June 9.

The outlet continued:

The Randolph County Prosecutor’s Office charged Brianna L. Lingo, 29, with felony counts of stealing an animal and animal abuse. Lingo was arrested at 4 a.m. Thursday at a home in the 300 block of Wightman Street, according to the Moberly Police Department.

Police said officers responded to a call from the dog’s owner that her daughter, Lingo, had killed their dog and burned its body to make a sacrifice. The probable cause statement did not describe the type of sacrifice the owner was referring to. Officers located the body of the dog in a firepit in the courtyard of the home, according to court documents.

The New York Post shared a mugshot Tuesday of the suspect:

Animal cruelty covers numerous behaviors that hurt animals, such as neglect and malicious killing, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

“Intentional cruelty can run the gamut from knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization or veterinary care to maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating or killing an animal,” the agency’s site read:

All animal cruelty is a concern because it is wrong to inflict suffering on any living creature. Intentional cruelty is a particular concern because it is a sign of psychological distress and often indicates that an individual either has already been a victim of violence or might be predisposed to committing acts of violence.

Authorities had not received any similar reports in Moberly, although they investigated animal abuse cases in the past but “never one to this extent that I’m aware of,” explained Troy Link, who is the chief of police.

The woman reportedly admitted strangling the canine and burning it. Randolph County Jail records showed the suspect was being held on bond.

Under charges on Lingo’s profile via the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office website, the agency listed “Animal Abuse – 2nd/subsequent offense or by torture and/or mutilation while animal was alive.”