Scott signs bill adding felony charge for abuse of a corpse
Roberta Martin, 82, was reported missing on July 17, 2024. Her burned remains were found five days later in a wooded area not far from her home. On July 25, Vermont State Police arrested Darren Martell, 23, who was living in the camper near Martin's home.
Court documents say a forensics examination 'preliminarily determined' that a DNA sample of sperm taken from Martin's remains were a match for Martell's DNA. Martell has been held without bail on a charge of aggravated murder since his arrest.
Unauthorized removal or burial of corpse is already a felony in Vermont. House Bill 41 — which has been called 'Roberta's Law' — creates a new felony statute for anyone who destroys a corpse without legal authority. Doing so to conceal a crime would add additional felony penalties, according to the bill.
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