West Virginia § 61-2-5a Concealment of deceased human body; penalty

West Virginia Statutes

§ 61-2-5a — Concealment of deceased human body; penalty

West Virginia § 61-2-5a

Ch. 61CRIMES AND THEIR PUNISHMENT

Art. 2CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON

This text of West Virginia § 61-2-5a (Concealment of deceased human body; penalty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 61-2-5a (2026).

Text

(a)Any person who, by any means, knowingly and willfully conceals, attempts to conceal or who otherwise aids and abets any person to conceal a deceased human body where death occurred as a result of criminal activity is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in a correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than five years and fined not less than $1,000, nor more than $5,000.

(b)It shall be a complete defense in a prosecution pursuant to subsection (a) of this section that the defendant affirmatively brought to the attention of law enforcement within forty-eight hours of concealing the body and prior to being contacted regarding the death by law enforcement the existence and location of the concealed deceased human body.

(c)The provisions of su

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(a) Any person who, by any means, knowingly and willfully conceals, attempts to conceal or who otherwise aids and abets any person to conceal a deceased human body where death occurred as a result of criminal activity is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in a correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than five years and fined not less than $1,000, nor more than $5,000.

(b) It shall be a complete defense in a prosecution pursuant to subsection (a) of this section that the defendant affirmatively brought to the attention of law enforcement within forty-eight hours of concealing the body and prior to being contacted regarding the death by law enforcement the existence and location of the concealed deceased human body.

(c) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section do not apply to practitioners regulated by the provisions of article six, chapter thirty of this code or their agents while acting in their lawful professional capacities.