Bags of beheaded animals were found floating in the Long Island Sound Tuesday, the third case of slaughtered animals found in the Hudson Valley since July.

Police say several bags of beheaded chickens and goats were found floating in the water. Food and money wrapped in a blue T-shirt were also found.

In July, police discovered several dead birds wrapped in red and black cloth in Wilson Woods in Mount Vernon. Last week, seven bags of dead animal parts were left on the side of Route 129 in Yorktown Heights. The SPCA says the carcasses found in Yorktown Heights had feathers plucked out and some were missing heads.

Police do not believe the three cases are related. However, they believe the animals may have been sacrificed as part of a religious ceremony and had the crime scenes analyzed by an occult specialist.