Here's a little tale of motherly love gone awry. When a baggage handler who worked at JFK was busted for running a drug-trafficking ring, his mother flew to Africa to hire a shaman to put a voodoo curse on the prosecutor's handling the case. Kind of sweet, isn't it? But now they're both in some legal hot water that even a mystical hex can't fix. more ›

"The only demonic presence this child had to worry about was her mother." Those chilling words were said by a Queens judge as he sentenced Marie Lauradin, a 29 year-old Queens resident, to 17 years in prison for setting her six-year-old daughter on fire in 2009. more ›

Last month, a massive five-alarm fire broke out in a six-floor East Flatbush apartment, killing one and leaving dozens injured and homeless. The fire turned out to be the unintended result of a voodoo sex ritual gone wrong, after one resident paid 66-year-old Nelson (Pepe) Pierre $300 to perform such a ceremony. And police and residents say that so-called voodoo priests such as Pierre are just two-bit con men preying on desperate immigrants. more ›

For the past year or so, photographer Stephanie Keith has been going to the Flatlands in Brooklyn for dead-of-night vodou ceremonies. Her audio slide show about her experiences is killer. While we've been sleeping the night away, she's been dancing to drumming and watching spirit possession in a rum-soaked basement. By the end of one "party" there were about seven people all possessed at the same time! Unfortunately, she wasn't allowed to take pictures when the Gede spirit "mounted" participants, but still got off some great shots. "I keep telling my friends I wish I could get mounted by a spirit, but that never happened," Keith wistfully remarks. She's actually attended ten vodou ceremonies so far, but Gede is still playing hard to get. [Via Boing Boing] more ›

A report came over the newswire this afternoon that cops in Brooklyn were investigating "multiple animal tongues nailed to various trees" in Prospect Park. Could it be related to some sort of ritual sacrifice going on in the heart of Brooklyn? Last month, a Parks ranger spoke to the Post about areas in Queens such as Forest Park and Highland Park being hotbeds of animal sacrifice performed for reasons such as "devil worship to voodoo to offerings for good luck." A man in Forest Park had recently come upon a rooster and a goat head while walking his dog, but there had been no reports at the time of any activity in Prospect Park. Today's wire said that the tongues were found in the Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue area—seems like no way to christen the park's new giant Dumpster. more ›

A Queens Village mother and grandmother have been charged with assault and endangering the welfare of a child after permanently scarring a six-year-old girl in a Voodoo ritual where they engulfed her in flames. 29-year-old Marie Lauradin and 70-year-old Sylvenie Thessier are accused of pouring rum both onto the head of young Frantzcia Saintil and in a circle around her and then lighting both on fire. After performing the "Loa" ritual, the pair doused the girl in ice cold water and put her to bed. Lauradin, a recent Haitian immigrant, and her mother were allegedly helped by a friend named "Sketch," who has not been charged. The Daily News reports, "Lauradin initially claimed she was boiling rice in a pot when the girl 'startled' her, causing her to spill the scalding water on her." She could face up to 25 years if convicted. more ›

With all the talk of pet cruelty and an otherwise quiet weekend of New Yorkers enjoying the mild weather, the Post checks in on that nagging topic we probably haven't thought enough about lately: animal sacrifices around town. Longtime Parks Ranger Joe Puleo told the paper that Forest Park and Highland Park are the hotbeds for the violent rituals performed for reasons such as "devil worship to voodoo to offerings for good luck." Puleo then put on his creepy voice for the paper and said, "They are never caught, because they are careful, and they never do it during the day. They do it at night when no one is around." A Forest Park man recently discovered a rooster and goat head while walking his dog—he called 311. Then things really start getting fun when the paper talks to NYC Parks Advocate founder Geoffrey Croft, who recounts finding a dog shot and eaten by a man. At least Croft is able to sum up the whole madness quite succinctly by saying, "It's a public-health issue, it's disgusting, and it freaks people out with the whole voodoo thing." more ›

Last month, the NY Times found that an actuarial consultant who reviewed legislation pending in the State Legislature also had financial ties to labor unions. The consultant, whose expertise was used to examine the financial impact of bills (like retirement, pension benefit bills), even admitted he skewed his analysis to support unions. Now, the city has found the consultant's work underestimated costs by $500 million. more ›