ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ, ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴜsᴜᴀʟ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴏʀ ᴅʏɪɴɢ ʙʟɪɴᴅ ʙɪʀᴅs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴄɪɴɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴡᴀsʜɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ. ᴡɪʟᴅʟɪғᴇ ᴇxᴘᴇʀᴛs ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ’s ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs, ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛs ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀsʜɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ ᴘᴏsᴛ.
ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀɢᴜᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟs ɪɴ ᴀʀʟɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ, ᴠɪʀɢɪɴɪᴀ, ɴᴇᴀʀ ᴡᴀsʜɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ, ʀᴇʟᴇᴀsᴇᴅ ᴀɴ ᴀɴɴᴏᴜɴᴄᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴀ sᴘɪᴋᴇ ɪɴ ᴄᴀʟʟs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ғᴏʀ ɪɴᴊᴜʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ sɪᴄᴋ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ʙɪʀᴅs, ᴍᴏsᴛ ɴᴏᴛᴀʙʟʏ ʀᴏᴏᴋs ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴊᴀʏs.
“ᴇʏᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ʙɪʀᴅs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴡɪsᴇ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ, ʀᴇsᴜʟᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʙʟɪɴᴅɴᴇss ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʀᴅs ʟᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ sᴛᴀʏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ,” ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀɢᴜᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟs sᴀɪᴅ. ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ, ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ ɴᴏᴛᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴇᴠᴇʀᴀʟ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴅ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴇs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀғғᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ.
“ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɢᴇɴᴄɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴄᴀʟɪᴛɪᴇs ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇɢɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴛᴀᴛᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs.”
ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʀɢɪɴɪᴀ ᴅᴇᴘᴀʀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴡɪʟᴅʟɪғᴇ ʀᴇsᴏᴜʀᴄᴇs sᴀɪᴅ ᴍᴏsᴛ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀʀʟɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʟsᴏ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ ɴᴏᴛɪғɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴀʀʏʟᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴡɪɴᴄʜᴇsᴛᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sʜᴇɴᴀɴᴅᴏᴀʜ ᴠᴀʟʟᴇʏ.
ᴍᴇɢᴀɴ ᴋɪʀᴄʜɢᴇssɴᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴀʀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ sᴀɪᴅ: “ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ ᴏғ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʟɪɴɪᴄᴀʟ sɪɢɴs ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴅɪᴄᴀᴛᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ᴏʙsᴇʀᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴇᴀ, sᴏ ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴅᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ.”
ᴀ ᴘᴏsᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ sɪᴛᴇ ɴᴇxᴛᴅᴏᴏʀ sᴀɪᴅ: “ʜᴀs ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀsᴇ ᴏғ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ʙɪʀᴅs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʏᴀʀᴅ? ᴡᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅʏɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴀᴄᴋʏᴀʀᴅ ᴀ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ᴀɢᴏ, ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ғʀᴏɴᴛ ʏᴀʀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴜʀ ɴᴇɪɢʜʙᴏᴜʀs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀʟsᴏ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ʙɪʀᴅs ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ᴏʀ sᴏ.”
ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅs ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏsᴛ ʙʏ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴄ ᴀʀᴇᴀ.
“ᴊᴜsᴛ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀ ᴘᴏᴏʀ ʙɪʀᴅ ɪɴ ғʀᴏɴᴛ ʏᴀʀᴅ… sᴛɪʟʟ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴡᴇʟʟ. ʜᴇᴀᴅ ɪs ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇʟʏ sᴡᴏʟʟᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇʏᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ʙᴜʟɢɪɴɢ. ᴘᴏssɪʙʟʏ ᴀ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴍᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢʙɪʀᴅ,” ᴏɴᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ sᴀɪᴅ.
“ᴀ ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴊᴀʏ ᴅɪᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʏᴀʀᴅ ᴀ ғᴇᴡ ᴡᴇᴇᴋs ᴀɢᴏ. ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀᴄᴛɪɴɢ sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʟʏ, ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ ɪᴛs ғᴇᴇᴛ. ɪᴛ’s ᴍᴀᴛᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ — ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs sᴀᴅ. ᴍʏ ʜᴜsʙᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘɪᴄᴋ ɪᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢʟᴏᴠᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ ᴅɪᴇᴅ. ᴡᴇ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴᴇᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅs & sᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ ᴅᴀᴢᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ sᴛɪғғ,” ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ.
ᴍᴇɢᴀɴ ᴋɪʀᴄʜɢᴇssɴᴇʀ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʀɢɪɴɪᴀ ᴅᴇᴘᴀʀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴡɪʟᴅʟɪғᴇ ʀᴇsᴏᴜʀᴄᴇs sᴀɪᴅ: “ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ ᴏғ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʟɪɴɪᴄᴀʟ sɪɢɴs ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴏғ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴇᴇɴ ʀᴏᴜᴛɪɴᴇʟʏ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴇᴀ, sᴏ ᴡᴇ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴅᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ᴇᴍᴇʀɢɪɴɢ ᴏʀ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ɪssᴜᴇ.”
