Couple convicted of animal cruelty for mistreating sacrificial lamb as part of religious observance
Springs couple belongs to Hebrew-Israelites sect
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted: 12/05/2012
Last Updated:
169 days ago
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - An El Paso County jury has convicted a former Colorado Springs couple of animal cruelty over treatment of a lamb they planned to sacrifice as part of a religious observance.
Periz Jackson and Elijah Black face up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine after jurors on Tuesday found them guilty of leaving the animal in a locked closet where it was left on urine- and feces-soaked hay with no water and tethered by a heavy chain around its neck.
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, Jackson, 30, and Black, 42, belong to a largely African-American religious sect called the Hebrew-Israelites. The couple claimed they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
Authorities say the pair purchased the sacrificial lamb for $250 from a livestock grower east of Denver in early April. They planned to slaughter and roast the male yearling on Passover in their Colorado Springs apartment.
The ceremony was averted two days early, however, when neighbors noticed a foul odor emanating from their apartment.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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