Violation of sepulture; defilement of a dead human body; penalties

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-126
in effect
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A. If a person unlawfully disinters or displaces a dead human body, or any part of a dead human body which has been deposited in any vault, grave or other burial place, he is guilty of a Class 4 felony. B. If a person willfully and intentionally physically defiles a dead human body he is guilty of a Class 6 felony. For the purposes of this section, the term "defile" shall not include any autopsy or the recovery of organs or tissues for transplantation, or any other lawful purpose. Code 1950, § 18.1-243; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1995, c. 306 .
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/18.2-126/Fetched: 10/16/2026

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