New York is toughening the penalties for those who unlawfully conceal or dispose of a corpse.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure into law on Wednesday. It's named "Amanda Lynn's Law" after Amanda Lynn Wienckowski, whose body was found in 2009 a garbage receptacle in Buffalo.
The local medical examiner concluded that Wienckowski died from an accidental overdose. Authorities determined that someone had concealed her body, an act which, had it been prosecuted, would have only been considered a misdemeanor.
The new law makes the improper concealment or disposal of a body a felony punishable by up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Cuomo says the tougher penalties ensure that a "vile and reprehensible" crime is treated with the seriousness it deserves.
