Evil scumbags filmed themselves dousing cute wild animal with fuel then setting it alight
Heartless North Carolina men recorded as they set a vulnerable opossum ablaze in a gut-wrenching act of animal cruelty they proudly blasted online.
The disturbing clip that circulated on Facebook last week showed the live animal being doused with fuel before the culprits set it on fire - seemingly amused with what they have done.
After sharing the hard-to-watch footage, horrified viewers began reporting the incident to agencies including the FBI and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
The North Carolina Wildlife Commission has launched an investigation into the April 24 video that quickly caught traction for all the wrong reasons.
'Thank you to everybody who has contacted Crime Stoppers and sent tips about the animal cruelty incident involving the possum on Facebook,' Charlotte Crime Stoppers wrote on X.
'At this point, we have enough information to move forward, we don't need any more tips. Thank you again for your support.'
Although nothing has been filed yet, authorities say this will likely result in felony charges against the animal abusers.
'It's under investigation, but this is looking like it's going to be a felony matter of animal cruelty, Kristofer Blankenship, a senior officer with the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, told WCNC.
In the state, animal cruelty is a Class H felony. Class H felonies have a maximum potential sentence of 39 months in prison.
Investigators believe at least three people were involved. Their names have not been released.
Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy declared they will give a $5,000 reward to anyone that has information that will lead to an arrest and charges against those involved, according to FOX 8.
'This isn't just animal cruelty — it's a public safety issue,' the animal groups told the outlet.
Although the original video appears to have been taken down from Facebook, a Charlotte man shared an alarming image of the opossum's charred carcass two days after it was uploaded.
He seemingly captioned the post with fake funeral details. It is unconfirmed if he is connected to the incident or not.
He also shared several statements referring to the opossum situation, calling out his followers for reporting the content.
'Damn The possum Brought All The Police A** Mfs Out I Thought Yall Don't Snitch,' he wrote.
Another man from Charlotte has also been publicly discussing the investigation.
In a series of posts, he wrote: 'They wanna see me with a life sentence over a damn opossum.
'The whole internet in a frenzy over a possum this world bout crazy ash.
'And guess what the police did when they pull up and left?? THEY LEFT THE DAMN POSSUM.'
He also shared a video of the dead animal after it was set on fire, writing 'medium rare come get you some.'
The two men are connected, as they have tagged and interacted with each other on social media.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Suspect Vance Boelter disguised himself with latex mask before he ‘shot dead Melissa Hortman & injured 2nd lawmaker'
THE Minnesota shootings suspect wore a fake police uniform and an eerie latex mask when he killed a lawmaker and her husband. In the early hours of Saturday, suspected gunman Vance Luther Boelter shot and killed Minnesota Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home in Brooklyn Park. 13 13 13 13 Boelter has now been identified as a former appointee of Governor Tim Walz. The FBI released stills from home security footage of the gunman donning a bald-headed mask while disguised as a cop as he knocked on the door of his victims. He also shot Senator John Hoffman, 60, and his wife Yvette multiple times at their home in Champlin just hours beforehand, leaving them seriously injured. Hoffman and his wife have both undergone surgery at the Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and are said to be in a stable condition with officials "cautiously optimistic" of their survival. As cops launch an extensive manhunt, police have named 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter as a suspect in the shootings. He should be considered armed and dangerous and the public should not approach him, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has warned. A $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction has been announced by the FBI. Boelter was last seen in the Twin Cities area wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, a dark long-sleeved shirt and light pants. He is described as 220lbs and 6 foot 1 and cops believe he is trying to flee the area and may be carrying a dark bag. The public should call 911 or sent tips to or call 877-996-6222. Boelter is a former appointee of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, per the Post. Documents obtained by the outlet show that he was appointed by Walz in 2019 to serve on his Workforce Development Board for four years. A notice of appointment signed by Walz reads: "Because of the special trust and confidence I have in your integrity, judgment, and ability, I have appointed and commissioned you to have and to hold the office of: Business Member Governor's Workforce Development Board." In 2016 he was on the Workforce Development Council under the previous Governor Mark Dayton. 13 13 13 He is listed as living in Green Isle, Minnesota and according to his LinkedIn, works with the Red Lion Group in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Praetorian Guard Security Services. The gunman posed as a police officer to gain entry to the lawmakers' homes, cops previously revealed. Walz led a press conference on Saturday to confirm the deaths of Hortman, 55, and her husband Mark in what he called a "politically motivated assassination". "This was an act of targeted political violence," Walz said. "Those responsible for this will be held accountable and each and every one of us are committed to making sure a tragedy like this never repeats itself," he added. FBI announces $50k reward for arrest and conviction The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter, the suspect in Saturday's targeted shootings of Minnesota lawmakers and their families in Champlin and Brooklyn Park. Anyone with information about these shootings or Boelter's location should call the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) tip line at 877-996-6222 or email The public is asked to call 911 immediately if they see Boelter. Do not approach him. The FBI, BCA, Brooklyn Park Police Department and Champlin Police Department along with other local and state law enforcement officials continue searching for Boelter. Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety The Governor has not publicly commented on the reports that the suspect is his former appointee. Cops were called to the Hortman residence around 3:35 am, less than three hours after the shooting at the Hoffmans' home located just five miles away, around 2 am. Hortman and her husband were pronounced dead at the scene where officers exchanged fire with the suspect who managed to flee on foot. A search of the suspects' vehicle, which was found in the driveway of the Hortmans' home, revealed 'No Kings' protest fliers and a manifesto with the details of many officials including Hortman and Hoffman. The SUV was made to look like a police squad car and the emergency lights were flashing in the driveway when cops arrived at the residence. Security has been ramped up for other elected officials following the shootings with some of those listed in the manifesto being placed in protective custody. A motive has not been released by cops, but the shootings come as millions take to the streets as part of the anti-Trump No Kings movement as the President holds a military parade in Washington DC. "We don't have any direct links, however there were some fliers that said 'No Kings' within the suspect vehicle, and as we know, the events planned throughout the state of Minnesota is a No Kings event," Minnesota State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic said. 13 Officials have urged the public not to attend protests planned for the area including the Minnesota State Capitol in St Paul. Organizers have confirmed that the events have officially been canceled but many are still gathering to demonstrate. President Donald Trump called the shootings "horrific" and vowed that those responsible will face "the fullest extent of the law". BADGE BETRAYAL Law enforcement was first notified of a shooting around 2 am where Hoffman and Yvette were found with multiple gunshot wounds and given life-saving measures by attending officers. Due to the political nature of the shooting, officers immediately went to the speaker's home to check in on her and while doing so, calls of the second shooting were made. Attending officers from Brooklyn Park Police saw the fake cop car in the drive way and the suspect posing as a police officer at the door. "When our officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire and the suspect retreated back into the home," Brooklyn Park Police chief Mark Bruley told reporters. "It was not a real officer this is somebody who clearly had been impersonating a police officer using the trust of this badge and this uniform to manipulate their way into the home." 13 13 13 Bob Jacobson, the commissioner of Public Safety for Minnesota called it a "dark day" and said the targeting of elected officials was "cowardly". "The suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms and what our uniforms are meant to represent," he told reporters. "That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of use who wear the badge with honor and responsibility." Hundreds of police officers, SWAT teams, and the FBI are involved in the search for Boelter as a shelter-in-place order remains active within a three mile radius of Edinburgh Golf Course. The order for Champlin has since been lifted but with the manhunt now going past the 12-hour mark, the search area is widening. "I've activated the State Emergency Operations Center," Walz said on X. "Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them." Residents were initally told to look out for a white male with brown hair, wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants and to call 911 immediately. They also warned that the suspect may still pretending to be law enforcement and that any real police officers in the area will arrive in pairs as the search continues. Hortman, 55, represented District 34 B and was minority leader between 2017 and 2019 before becoming speaking from 2019 to 2025. She and her husband Mark Hortman and the pair are survived by their two children. Senator Hoffman was elected to Senate in 2012 and is serving his fourth term representing District 34 which includes Champlin and Brooklyn Park. He has a wife and daughter who live in Champlin. Governor Tim Walz full statement Today Minnesota lost a great leader, and I lost a friend. A formidable public servant and a fixture of the state Capitol, Melissa Hortman woke up every day determined to make our state a better place. She served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, and tirelessness. Minnesota's thoughts are with her loved ones, and my prayers are with Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who were shot and wounded and are being treated. We are not a country that settles our differences at gunpoint. We have demonstrated again and again in our state that it is possible to peacefully disagree, that our state is strengthened by civil public debate. We must stand united against all forms of violence - and I call on everyone to join me in that commitment. To the responding officers, thank you for your bravery and your swift action. A state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation is underway, and we will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice. We will not let fear win.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Nine key questions could decide fate of beef Wellington mushroom 'poisoner'
Erin Patterson has been accused of intentionally poisoning several family members and her eight-day cross-examination in the murder trial has come to an end The world has been gripped by the murder trial of an Australian woman that came after several people died after eating a homemade beef Wellington that is said to have contained poisonous death cap mushrooms. Erin Patterson denies intentionally poisoning three relatives and attempting to kill a fourth by serving them a meal containing toxic death cap mushrooms at her home in Victoria on July 29, 2023. Prosecutors have alleged she deliberately included the poisonous mushrooms in the meal, but her defence insists it was a tragic accident - saying Patterson may have accidentally included mushrooms she had foraged herself. Within a week of the meal, three of the guests had died and the fourth was in hospital. Patterson, 50, was questioned by police shortly after the deaths and she was arrested around a month later. Her alleged victims were her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both aged 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66. Ian Wilkinson, the uncle of Patterson's estranged husband, also fell seriously ill but survived after weeks of treatment. These are the nine key questions that could determine how the jury vote. Where were the toxic mushrooms from? Both the prosecution and defence have accepted the potentially deadly death cap mushrooms were in the beef wellington. During the initial police investigation, Patterson denied being a forager and her children told cops they had never seen her pick mushrooms. This completely shifted in the witness box as Patterson claimed that was untrue and said she had picked wild mushrooms since the 2020 Covid lockdown. Her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, asked if she accepted that the beef Wellington pastries she had served to her lunch guests in 2023 contained death caps. "Now I think there was a possibility there were foraged ones in there," she replied. How did the mushrooms get into the dish? Prosecutor Nanette Rogers told the court how Patterson had posted in Facebook groups about using a food dehydrator to reduce the size of mushrooms to use in cooking. Patterson posted that she had been "hiding powdered mushrooms in everything". The jury was also shown a CCTV photo showing Erin Patterson at her local tip on August 2 - days after the fatal meal. Among the things she was seen disposing of was a large black box. When inspected a couple of days later, a staff member found a black Sunbeam dehydrator, Nanette Rogers says. Fingerprints were found on the dehydrator and compared to Ms Patterson's, Dr Rogers says - and they matched. It also tested positive for death cap mushrooms, the jury was told. Did she secretly hate her in-laws? Prosecutors have not identified a "particular" motive in this case but the court heard about issues Patterson faced with her ex-husband Simon's family. The couple were married in 2007 and separated in 2015 but initially had a close relationship even after they split. This changed in 2022 when Simon described himself as "single" on a tax return and affected her ability to claim tax breaks. Patterson asked her in-laws to get involved and they were reluctant to, which led to arguments between them. She posted a series of raging posts on Facebook around that time including: "I'm sick of this s**t. I want nothing to do with them. I thought his parents would want him to do the right thing, but it seems their concern about… not wanting to get involved in their son's personal matters, are overriding that. So f**k them." How was the meal served? The court was told the four guests were handed their meal on a grey plates while Patterson had hers on an orange plate. The suspect has denied these claims and told the court she did not own any grey dishes. She told the court the meal was served up on a mixture of black and white plates. Despite this, footage from a police search of her home appeared to show two grey plates next to the dishwasher. Did she vomit after the meal? Patterson told the court she had bulimia and ate several slices of an orange cake her 70-year-old in-law brought for dessert. She told the court: "I kept cleaning up the kitchen and putting everything away and, um, I had a piece of cake and then I had another piece of cake. And then another." She told the court she ate all of the cake and "felt sick. I felt over-full. So I went to the toilets and brought it up again". Was she genuinely sick? Patterson said she was hit with diarrhoea after the meal and suffered with it for a week. She went to a local hospital and complained of "gastro". Despite this, medical professionals did not believed her symptoms were as bad as what her four guests experienced. The court heard from nurse Cindy Munro who said Patterson "didn't look unwell" when compared to the guests. Doctor Varuna Ruggoo said tests for her liver function came back with normal results. Why did she throw the dehydrator away? The day after Patterson left hospital she went to a rubbish tip and was seen on CCTV throwing the Sunbeam dehydrator out. When asked about the device she claimed she tried to get rid of the dehydrator because she "panicked" after a conversation with her ex-husband a few days earlier. She claimed he asked her: "Is that what you used to poison my parents?" She said: "I was scared of the conversation that might flow about the meal and the dehydrator and I was scared that they [child protection] would blame me for it." Despite this, the ex-husband claimed he did not remember saying that to her. Why did she lie about having cancer? Patterson invited her in-laws for the meal on a false pretence of receiving a cancer diagnosis, as prosecutors said it was highly unusual for Patterson to hold social gatherings. She had told Gail a few weeks earlier that she found a lump on her elbow. At the dinner she suggested she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The mother of two later admitted she never had cancer, but had been worried enough by symptoms to seek tests. She then said she had been dealing with "self-esteem" issues and was embarrassed to tell her family that. How will the jury decide this case? Patterson has held that the other parties in this case, like her ex-husband, medical professionals and Facebook friends, have been wrong in their accounts. Her eight-day cross-examination has come to an end and she still pleads not guilty. Now the case is in the hands of the jury who will return their verdict.
Leader Live
7 hours ago
- Leader Live
US state politician and husband killed in ‘targeted' attacks on two Democrats
A second state politician, senator John Hoffman, and his wife were shot and wounded in the 'targeted' attack in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Saturday, said governor Tim Walz. I've activated the State Emergency Operations Center. Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon. — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 14, 2025 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,' Mr Walz said at a press conference on Saturday. 'Those responsible for this will be held accountable.' Ms Hortman was the top House Democratic leader in the state legislature and a former house speaker. She was first elected in 2004, was a lawyer and married with two children. Mr Hoffman, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012 and runs Hoffman Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm. He previously served as vice-chairman of the Anoka Hennepin School Board, which manages the largest school district in Minnesota. Mr Hoffman is married and has one daughter. Both Ms Hortman and Mr Hoffman represented districts located north of Minneapolis. Authorities were actively searching for a suspect in the hours following the shootings. Public safety commissioner Bob Johnson said the suspect was posing as a law enforcement officer. Hundreds of police and sheriff deputies from departments in the region, some in tactical gear with assault style weapons were scattered through the town. Occasional police roadblocks had been set up where cars were stopped and checked. Police later recovered writings that mentioned the names of multiple legislators and other officials in a fake police car they believe the suspect used in the shooting. Officials say both Ms Hortman and Mr Hoffman were mentioned in the suspect's writings. Brooklyn Park Police chief Mark Bruley said: 'When we did a search of the vehicle, there was a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials. 'We immediately made alerts to the state. We took action on alerting them and providing security where necessary.' Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said post-mortem examinations will be carried out to determine extent of injuries, but added that Ms Hortman and her spouse died from gunshot wounds. Mr Bruley said the suspect fled out of the back of Ms Hortman's house after an exchange of gunfire with police. The suspect was dressed like a uniformed officer and operating a vehicle that 'looked exactly like an SUV squad car,' he said. 'It was equipped with lights, emergency lights and looked exactly like a police vehicle.' Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said in a White House statement that the FBI would join in the investigation. 'Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. 'Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!' Minnesota House speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack 'evil' and said she was 'heartbroken beyond words' by the killings of Ms Hortman and her husband, Mark. 'With the law enforcement response ongoing and details still emerging, I will simply ask all Minnesotans to please lift up in prayer the victims of this horrific attack, as well as the law enforcement personnel still working to apprehend the perpetrator,' Ms Demuth said in a statement. The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated during a time of deep political divisions. Giffords, the national gun violence prevention organisation led by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released the following statement. 'I am horrified and heartbroken by last night's attack on two patriotic public servants,' Ms Giffords said. 'My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well. An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself. 'Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for.' Ms Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others. She stepped down from congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery.
