Florida bill would crack down on illegal body dumping

SB-768 would increase penalties from misdemeanor to felony

In Florida, state law requires that people report a body that they come across to the proper authorities.

Failing to do so could result in a misdemeanor offense.

However, State Sen. Linda Stewart has sponsored SB-768, which would up the penalties from a misdemeanor to a felony. That bill passed the committee by a unanimous vote on Tuesday.

According to Stewart, making the crime a felony would allow investigators to use search warrants to find dead bodies that have been illegally dumped.

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“Apparently, when people bury bodies in their backyard — I guess mainly drug dealers who have people die on their couch and they take them outside and bury them — well, the sheriffs can’t get to them,” Stewart told News 6. “Because I guess (sheriffs) have to get a warrant, and they won’t give them a warrant unless it’s a felony charge.”

Stewart explained that some people will also hide the bodies of those who die of old age. That way, they can continue to receive checks meant for the person who died.

“Sometimes, the people who are watching the elderly, they try not to report a death so that they can continue to collect Medicaid or they collect Social Security,” Stewart said on Tuesday.

Paula Khoenle is pushing for the bill to become law, as her daughter’s body was dumped on the side of Allison Drive in Orange County in 2020.

“This needs to stop happening,” she told News 6. “It’s bad enough when someone is killed, but when you hide their body or dump their body, you are making it so much harder on the family that’s already gonna go through hell.”

If approved, the changes would take effect on July 1.

But if you find a dead body in your home or outside, what are you supposed to do with it?

  • Don’t touch anything: Florida law prohibits someone who finds a dead body from willfully touching or disturbing the corpse “with the intent to alter evidence or circumstances surrounding the death.”
  • Call law enforcement: In many cases, deaths have to be reported to the district medical examiner. Someone who becomes aware of a dead body has to report it to their local authorities — such as police or a hospital — if the person dies:
    • Due to criminal violence
    • By accident
    • By suicide
    • Suddenly, when in apparent good health
    • Unattended by a practicing physician or other recognized practitioner
    • In any suspicious or unusual circumstance
    • By criminal abortion
    • By poison
    • By disease constituting a threat to public health
  • Claim the remains: If you are the next of kin, you’ll have to claim the body by making final arrangements with a funeral home or crematorium. Then, you can sign a written release giving the Medical Examiner’s Office permission to release the body. That form can be found here.
  • Collect their belongings: Any personal property on a dead body will be turned over to the funeral home to be returned to the family unless law enforcement needs those items as evidence in a criminal investigation.

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