'The closure you never get is unnerving': Lawmakers pursue stricter penalties for corpse abuse

    MONTPELIER, Vermont (WPTZ) -- It was an emotional day for some in Vermont's statehouse Friday morning after testimony was taken on a bill that would create a felony charge for people who destroy, move, or sexually assault a dead body.

The bill is inspired by the death of Roberta Martin, an 82-year-old from Enosburgh, that occurred over the summer. Police say Darren Martell beat her and raped her to death, then drug her body out of her home before setting her on fire.

Since that happened, her family reached out to state lawmakers looking to increase the charges for corpse abuse; Friday morning, Martin's daughter gave heart-wrenching testimony in support of the bill.

"It's cruel, it's inhumane, and it's so brutal, the closure you never get is unnerving," said Pam Harris, Roberta Martin's daughter. "My precious sweet mom had been brutally attacked, murdered, raped, carried out of her home, thrown into the woods and set on fire, let that sink in, if you will."

Harris said the events still haunt them and not getting too see her that one last time to get any sense of closure makes it so much worse.

"My family and I were robbed of saying our final goodbyes to our mom, imagine losing a loved one from such a heinous crime only to learn your loved one's body was burnt," Harris said.

Under the bill, corpse abuse would be moved from a misdemeanor to a felony, one charge would lead up to a five-year sentence, and the aggravated charge up to 10 years.

"It goes from a potential one to two-year penalty in prison to up to ten if it's an aggravated charge, so it's a significant penalty change," said the lead sponsor of the bill, Rep. Tom Burditt.

He added in his over a decade in the legislature it's perhaps the most emotional testimony he's ever seen, and believes the bill will make it out of committee and hopefully into law.

"I'm going to be pushing for the max penalties in committee, and I know across the political spectrum in our committee the people who might not normally push for a stiffer penalty are leaning that way," he said.

If the bill is eventually signed into law, Harris hopes it's named "Roberta's Law."

Darren Martell, the man police say did it, is due back in court on March 17 for a status hearing.