14-149. Desecrating, plowing over or covering up graves; desecrating human remains.
(a) It is a Class I felony, without authorization of law or the consent of the surviving spouse or next of kin of the deceased, to knowingly and willfully:
(1) Open, disturb, destroy, remove, vandalize or desecrate any casket or other repository of any human remains, by any means including plowing under, tearing up, covering over or otherwise obliterating or removing any grave or any portion thereof.
(2) Take away, disturb, vandalize, destroy, tamper with, or deface any tombstone, headstone, monument, grave marker, grave ornamentation, or grave artifacts erected or placed within any cemetery to designate the place where human remains are interred or to preserve and perpetuate the memory and the name of any person. This subdivision shall not apply to the ordinary maintenance and care of a cemetery.
(3) Repealed by Session Laws 2007-122, s. 2, effective December 1, 2007, and applicable to offenses committed on or after that date.
(a1) It is a Class H felony, without authorization of law or the consent of the surviving spouse or next of kin of the deceased, to knowingly and willfully disturb, destroy, remove, vandalize, or desecrate any human remains that have been interred in a cemetery.
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to a professional archaeologist as defined in G.S. 70-28(4) acting pursuant to the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 70 of the General Statutes. (1889, c. 130; Rev., s. 3681; 1919, c. 218; C.S., s. 4321; 1981, c. 752, s. 2; c. 853, s. 5; 2007-122, s. 2.)
Structure North Carolina General Statutes
North Carolina General Statutes
Article 22 - Damages and Other Offenses to Land and Fixtures.
§ 14-127 - Willful and wanton injury to real property.
§ 14-127.1 - Graffiti vandalism.
§ 14-128 - Injury to trees, crops, lands, etc., of another.
§ 14-129 - Taking, etc., of certain wild plants from land of another.
§ 14-129.2 - Unlawful to take sea oats.
§ 14-129.3 - Felony taking of Venus flytrap.
§ 14-130 - Trespass on public lands.
§ 14-131 - Trespass on land under option by the federal government.
§ 14-132 - Disorderly conduct in and injuries to public buildings and facilities.
§ 14-132.2 - Willfully trespassing upon, damaging, or impeding the progress of a public school bus.
§ 14-134.2 - Operating motor vehicle upon utility easements after being forbidden to do so.
§ 14-134.3 - Domestic criminal trespass.
§ 14-135.1 - Wood load tickets required for certain wood product sales; exceptions; penalties.
§ 14-136 - Setting fire to grass and brushlands and woodlands.
§ 14-137 - Willfully or negligently setting fire to woods and fields.
§ 14-138.1 - Setting fire to grassland, brushland, or woodland.
§ 14-140.1 - Certain fire to be guarded by watchman.
§ 14-141 - Burning or otherwise destroying crops in the field.
§ 14-142 - Injuries to dams and water channels of mills and factories.
§ 14-144 - Injuring houses, churches, fences and walls.
§ 14-145 - Unlawful posting of advertisements.
§ 14-147 - Removing, altering or defacing landmarks.
§ 14-148 - Defacing or desecrating grave sites.
§ 14-149 - Desecrating, plowing over or covering up graves; desecrating human remains.
§ 14-151 - Interfering with gas, electric, and steam appliances or meters; penalties.
§ 14-152 - Injuring fixtures and other property of gas companies; civil liability.
§ 14-153 - Tampering with engines and boilers.
§ 14-154 - Injuring wires and other fixtures of telephone, telegraph, and electric-power companies.
§ 14-155 - Unauthorized connections with telephone or telegraph.
§ 14-156 - Injuring fixtures and other property of electric-power companies.
§ 14-157 - Felling trees on telephone and electric-power wires.
§ 14-158 - Interfering with telephone lines.
§ 14-159 - Injuring buildings or fences; taking possession of house without consent.
§ 14-159.1 - Contaminating a public water system.
§ 14-159.2 - Interference with animal research.
§ 14-159.3 - Trespass to land on motorized all-terrain vehicle.