Why are there headless goats in Atlanta’s Chattahoochee River?

It's a mystery that's been happening for decades: decapitated goats getting dumped into Atlanta's Chattahoochee River. Since the 1990s, headless goat carcasses have been popping up in the Chattahoochee River, a major river that cuts through Georgia, Alabama and parts of Florida. Theories on what could be behind this odd occurrence range from ritual sacrifices to drug trafficking. While a 1993 Supreme Court ruling protects animal sacrifice as a religious practice, Georgia law prohibits the disposal of dead animals "in wells, open pits, or surface waters of any kind either on private or public land." AJC's Mariana Castro breaks down this trend and why the head-scratching case has been difficult to solve. Sources: Your Daily Laugh_YT, @chattahoocheeriverkeeper_TikTok, WSBTV, AJC, africanews_YT, The New Yorker, 11Alive, Wikipedia_Oshun

1:01
AJC | Jan 23, 2025
Today's Video Headlines
More Videos

Hyundai’s Georgia factory shows the future of auto manufacturing

Credits: AJC | Boston Dynamics | BMW Group | GommeBlog | Zachary Hansen, Adam Van Brimmer / AJC | Business Wire | BMW Group | CBT News | CNBC | Yahoo News

What America looks like at 250

What does America look like 250 years in? For AJC photojournalist Arvin Temkar, the answer is deeply personal. Credits: Arvin Temkar / AJC

FROM

'We built America': Black Atlantans reflect on the meaning of July 4th

We asked Black Atlantans what the Fourth of July means to them today. Credit: Getty Images

Driven: Georgia high school athlete spotlight

In a new series with AJC Varsity, we're going into the mindset of Georgia's high school athletes. (Presented by Ed Voyles Hyundai)