Salem 'witch,' associate accused of leaving animal remains at stores*

    * Story Highlights
    * Two accused of tossing raccoon parts on doorsteps of businesses in
feud
    * Pair pleaded not guilty to littering, malicious destruction of
property charges
    * Lawyers deny clients had anything to do with Salem, Massachusetts,
incident
    * Witness says one of the accused had disagreement with business owners

SALEM, Massachusetts (AP) -- A self-proclaimed high priestess of Salem
witches and a second person were accused of tossing raccoon parts on the
doorsteps of businesses, allegedly as part of a Wiccan community feud.

Sharon Graham, 46, and a fellow Wiccan, Frederick Purtz, 22, pleaded not
guilty Wednesday to charges of littering and malicious destruction of
property. Graham also was charged with intimidating a witness.

They were accused of putting a raccoon head and entrails on the
doorsteps of Angelica of the Angels and the Goddess' Treasure Chest in May.

Salem, a historic seaport famous for holding witch trials in the 17th
century, has an active Wiccan community and thriving witch-related tourism.

David Gavegnano, a lawyer for Graham, and Sean Wynne, a lawyer for
Purtz, both denied that their clients had anything to do with the
incident. They also argued that at any rate, the malicious destruction
charge wasn't valid because the storefronts weren't permanently damaged.

A witness, Richard Watson, told police he accompanied Graham, Purtz and
other people when they put the raccoon remains on the doorsteps. He said
Graham hoped to frame a Wiccan businessman who had fired Graham from a
psychic telephone business last spring.

Watson also said Graham had a disagreement with the owners of the two
targeted businesses over proposed regulations that would limit the
number of psychics who come to the city during the Halloween season. He
said he was told the group had found the raccoon dead.

Gavegnano declined to comment on Watson's accusations Thursday. Wynne
told The Boston Herald said there were probably "internal issues within
the Wiccan community," but the tossing of raccoon entrails may be a
"bastardization" of Wiccan practice because the religion doesn't condone
harming others.