Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312 (2026)
Abuse of corpse
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) A person commits an offense who, without legal privilege, knowingly:
- (1) Physically mistreats a corpse in a manner offensive to the sensibilities of an ordinary person;
- (2) Disinters a corpse that has been buried or otherwise interred;
- (3) Disposes of a corpse in a manner known to be in violation of law; or
- (4) Engages in sexual contact, as defined in § 39-13-501, with a corpse.
- (b) A person commits an offense who, without legal authority or privilege, knowingly offers to sell, sells, offers to purchase or purchases previously buried human skeletal remains. Any remains seized in violation of this subsection (b) shall be confiscated and subject to disposition as provided for in §§ 11-6-104 and 11-6-119.
- (c) A violation of this section is a Class E felony.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 402, s 2, eff. 7/1/2021.
Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; 2006, ch. 896, § 1.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 24
cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1997–2026 · leading case: State v. Hill, 333 S.W.3d 106 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2010).
State v. Hill, 333 S.W.3d 106 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2010). “§ 39-17-312. The trial court imposed sentences of life imprisonment and six years, respectively, and ordered the sentences to be served concurrently for an effective sentence of life in prison.”
State of Tennessee v. James Hawkins, 519 S.W.3d 1 (Tenn. 2017). “§ 39-17-312(a). At the conclusion of a separate sentencing hearing on the first degree murder conviction, the jury imposed the death sentence, finding that the prosecution had proven two statutory aggravating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt, id.”
Harris v. Horton, 341 S.W.3d 264 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009). “In the order, the trial court found that the complaint “failed to assert the elements necessary to establish that [D]efendants have abused a corpse within the meaning of T.C.A. § 39-17-312.” The Defendants then filed an answer, and an amended answer, to the amended complaint.”
State of Tennessee v. David Hooper Climer, Jr., 400 S.W.3d 537 (Tenn. 2013). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312 (a)(1) (2010).”
State v. Hawk, 170 S.W.3d 547 (Tenn. 2005). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-17-312 (abuse of a corpse); § 39-11-411 (accessory after the fact); § 39-12-102 (soliciting another to destroy evidence).”
State v. Robinson, 971 S.W.2d 30 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1997). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-17-312. 53 . Tenn.Code Ann.”
State of Tennessee v. Perry Avram March, 395 S.W.3d 738 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011). “See T.C.A. §§ 39-17-312(b), 39-16-503. Prosecution for a Class E felony must be commenced within two years and within four years for a Class C felony.”
Carey B. Boals, Jr. v. Stephen Murphy d/b/a Medina Funeral Home & Cremation Serv. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2013). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312 . At the outset, we note that the trial court’s conclusory explanation of its decision — that summary judgment is warranted because “there is no evidence to support” the claim — falls short of satisfying its obligation to “state the legal grounds upon…”
State of Tennessee v. Dashawn Patrick Sloan & Demetrius Trevon Higgins (Tenn. Crim. App. 2024). “26, 2015) (declining to find the evidence insufficient when the victim was shot in the head and his body was rolled into a blanket, crammed into a backseat, and driven to a secluded area before the car and body were burned beyond visual recognition); Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312…”
State of Tennessee v. Alfonvo Montell Johnson a.ka. Alfonzo Montell Johnson (Tenn. Crim. App. 2026). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312 (a)(3). Although the indictment did not specify the law Defendant violated when disposing of the victims’ bodies, the trial court charged the jury, without objection from Defendant, “For you to find the defendant guilty of this offense, the state…”
State of Tennessee v. Kalandra Lacy (Tenn. Crim. App. 2017). “” T.C.A. § 39-17-312(a)(1). The record contains no evidence to suggest that the defendant’s actions significantly exceeded those required to satisfy the elements of the offense.”
State of Tennessee v. Tony Edward Bigoms (Tenn. Crim. App. 2017). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312 (a)(1). The evidence at trial, viewed in a light most favorable to the State, established that the Defendant was the last person to be seen with the victim before she disappeared.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312(a) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. James Hawkins, 519 S.W.3d 1 (Tenn. 2017). “§ 39-17-312(a). At the conclusion of a separate sentencing hearing on the first degree murder conviction, the jury imposed the death sentence, finding that the prosecution had proven two statutory aggravating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt, id.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312(a)(1) — 9 cases
State v. Hill, 333 S.W.3d 106 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2010). “§ 39-17-312. The trial court imposed sentences of life imprisonment and six years, respectively, and ordered the sentences to be served concurrently for an effective sentence of life in prison.”
Harris v. Horton, 341 S.W.3d 264 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009). “In the order, the trial court found that the complaint “failed to assert the elements necessary to establish that [D]efendants have abused a corpse within the meaning of T.C.A. § 39-17-312.” The Defendants then filed an answer, and an amended answer, to the amended complaint.”
Carey B. Boals, Jr. v. Stephen Murphy d/b/a Medina Funeral Home & Cremation Serv. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2013). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312 . At the outset, we note that the trial court’s conclusory explanation of its decision — that summary judgment is warranted because “there is no evidence to support” the claim — falls short of satisfying its obligation to “state the legal grounds upon…”
State of Tennessee v. Kalandra Lacy (Tenn. Crim. App. 2017). “” T.C.A. § 39-17-312(a)(1). The record contains no evidence to suggest that the defendant’s actions significantly exceeded those required to satisfy the elements of the offense.”
State of Tennessee v. Dashawn Patrick Sloan & Demetrius Trevon Higgins (Tenn. Crim. App. 2024). “26, 2015) (declining to find the evidence insufficient when the victim was shot in the head and his body was rolled into a blanket, crammed into a backseat, and driven to a secluded area before the car and body were burned beyond visual recognition); Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312…”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-312(b) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Perry Avram March, 395 S.W.3d 738 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011). “See T.C.A. §§ 39-17-312(b), 39-16-503. Prosecution for a Class E felony must be commenced within two years and within four years for a Class C felony.”
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