I’m with you — I don’t believe this story, at least in terms of the way it’s presented in the article.
First of all, boa constrictors don’t get that big — maybe 10-12 feet, unlike large burmese or reticulated pythons, which can get much larger. That is potentially big enough to kill a five year old, but pretty unlikely.
Also, I don’t know the pet store, so maybe they had a full grown boa constrictor as a display animal, but typically pet stores only carry younger, smaller constrictors. Then again, it appears to be a reptile specialty store, so maybe.
Still, I’m trying to picture any scenario at all where the snake strikes (since the kids are too big to be prey, it’s hard to imagine why it would strike at all), and strangles one kid (which does take some time), while the other kid waits around till the snake is finished so he can be strangled too. I’m also trying to imagine a scenario where a snake like that serially attacks two times, one after the other.
Something is really not right about this story.
What if the boys were sleeping in the same bed?
Trying to figure out a way a snake may accidentally wrap around 2 kids without actually intending to.
Extremely not right.
They -only- constrict to kill and eat.
And it should be easy to autopsy since suffocation is not what actually kills their victim.
A murderer would not likely know that.