Missouri Revised Statutes
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 194.425 (2026)
Abandonment of a corpse without notifying authorities, penalty
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194.425. Abandonment of a corpse without notifying authorities, penalty. — 1. A person commits the crime of abandonment of a corpse if that person abandons, disposes, deserts or leaves a corpse without properly reporting the location of the body to the proper law enforcement officials in that county.
2. Abandonment of a corpse is a class E felony.
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(L. 1995 H.B. 160 § 578.157, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491)
Effective 1-01-17
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 17
cases (5 in the last 5 years), 2002–2025 · leading case: State v. Bratina, 73 S.W.3d 625 (Mo. 2002).
State v. Bratina, 73 S.W.3d 625 (Mo. 2002). “Bratina moved to dismiss the charge of abandonment of a corpse, asserting that the statute, section 194.425, is void for vagueness. The trial court granted the motion, declaring the statute unconstitutional.”
State v. Jones, 172 S.W.3d 448 (Mo. Ct. App. 2005). “After setting forth the text of section 194.425 in full, the Court began its analysis by noting that "[t]here is a question as to what conduct is made criminal by this statute.”
McGATHEY v. Davis, 281 S.W.3d 312 (Mo. Ct. App. 2009). “The statute states that “[a] person commits the crime of abandonment of a corpse if that person abandons, disposes, deserts or leaves a corpse without properly reporting the location of the body to the proper law enforcement officials in that county.”
State v. Jensen, 524 S.W.3d 33 (Mo. 2017). “015, and one count of abandonment of a corpse, section 194.425. Mr. Jensen was sentenced to life imprisonment on the murder conviction, five concurrent years on *36 the count of armed criminal action, and four consecutive years on the count of abandonment of a corpse.”
State v. Scroggs, 521 S.W.3d 649 (Mo. Ct. App. 2017). “045, and one count of abandonment of a corpse, section 194.425. The charges arise out of the death, shortly after birth,.”
State v. Rinehart, 383 S.W.3d 95 (Mo. Ct. App. 2012). “020, and two counts of abandonment of a corpse pursuant to § 194.425. Rine-hart’s motions for judgment of acquittal were denied by the trial court.”
State v. Jinkerson, 554 S.W.3d 559 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018). “100, and abandonment of a corpse in violation of Section 194.425 following the shooting death of Frank J.”
State v. Balbirnie, 541 S.W.3d 702 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018). “100), and abandoning a corpse (§ 194.425). Balbirnie raises two claims on appeal, both challenging the sufficiency of the evidence to support *705 his convictions.”
Krystal M. Scroggs v. State of Missouri, 655 S.W.3d 210 (Mo. Ct. App. 2022). “045; and one count of abandonment of a corpse (Class D Felony), section 194.425. Scroggs was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment on count I, a term of seven years' imprisonment on count II, and a term of four years' imprisonment on count III.”
State v. Bowman, 563 S.W.3d 172 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018). “100, and abandonment of a corpse, section 194.425. For reasons explained more fully in a memorandum provided to the parties, we affirm.”
State v. ERSERY, 259 S.W.3d 62 (Mo. Ct. App. 2008). “021, and one count of abandonment of a corpse, § 194.425. No jurisprudential purpose would be served by a formal written opinion.”
State of Missouri v. Emily Usnick, 585 S.W.3d 298 (Mo. Ct. App. 2019). “Stacy also found subgaleal hemorrhages inside Baby Usnick's scalp, which is an occurrence consistent with a vaginal 2 The First Amended Information included charges for the class D felony of abandonment of a corpse, section 194.425; class C felony of possession of a controlled…”
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