Mystery buffs, need your help! (Long, sorry)

nurseangel

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Jul 6, 2007
Messages
10,132
Purraise
4,820
Location
1 Happy Place
So, I'm suspicious by nature, even before I began working with inmates.

Here are the facts: A few weeks ago, we had a new central heating and air system installed. The workmen were under the house and left the little door to the crawl space open almost all day. It's been rainy here, but a few days after the heat pump was installed, we began to smell a terrible smell. We searched the house over, but could find nothing. Some days it was worse than others, and it didn't smell exactly like a dead animal. Yesterday, DH and his friend went under the house to do a complete search. He said it smelled awful under there. His friend found a dead black snake approximately 6 foot long semi-buried in a hole, the source of the smell.

The speculation: I don't think that snake just crawled under my house and died. If he lived under the house, he would have had a way in and out. And I doubt he would have just seen the door open and thought "at last, my opportunity to gain access to the crawl space!" Especially with all the activity going on that day.

The startling theory: I think those workmen found the snake, murdered him, and put him in the hole. I can't prove anything, but I believe this is what happened.

The conclusion: A.) We don't kill black snakes, they are harmless creatures. B.) We had to live with a mysterious horrible smell that was almost impossible to track down, a snake in a hole in an expansive area of dirt being very difficult to spot.

I am mad about this and want to call the central air company and make wild accusations that they will no doubt laugh at.

The question: Do you think the workmen are guilty of the crime?
 

snake_lady

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
7,218
Purraise
13
Location
ON./Canada
Originally Posted by nurseangel

The speculation: I don't think that snake just crawled under my house and died. If he lived under the house, he would have had a way in and out. And I doubt he would have just seen the door open and thought "at last, my opportunity to gain access to the crawl space!" Especially with all the activity going on that day.

The startling theory: I think those workmen found the snake, murdered him, and put him in the hole. I can't prove anything, but I believe this is what happened.

The question: Do you think the workmen are guilty of the crime?
re: The speculation:

- Often, ill or injured snakes will bury themselves to die. They crawl somewhere and just pass on.

- depending on the temps in that area, he could have overheated (died naturally), or was frozen (in the winter) and with the workmen in there, stirring things up, they could have opened the body to the air hence the sudden smell. If the snake was already dead and underground, you wouldn't smell it.

- snakes are not the smartest of animals.

re: Your therory:

- I doubt it. You are used to seeing the bad in people, I think perhaps it may be the case here.

- I doubt they would murder the snake, or if they did it was out of fright or accidently, but I doubt they would take the effort to bury it.

re: The question:

No, I don't believe the workmen are guilty of the crime you are speculating on.
 

blast-off-girl

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
536
Purraise
2
Location
Oakland, CA
I honestly do not think that the workers "murdered" the snake. What purpose would they have to do something like that? I work with inmates too and know that population well. If these workers had some criminal intent, they would probably consider burglarizing your home than killing a snake. I would just let it go and not call the company. What do you expect them to do?
 

catsallover

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
2,194
Purraise
5
Location
Alabama
Plus, even if they did kill the snake, I don't think you can really blame them too much...they probably spend a lot of time crawling around in dark, enclosed places like that, and with a 6 foot snake coming to visit, I imagine it's freak out and kill first and ask questions later...

Just sayin'
, I'm not a snake hater either, we loved black snakes to come live at our horse barn...
 
Top