6 Things You Can't Do With A Corpse In Utah & 1 Thing You Can

In the on-going feud we imagine exists between Idaho and Utah, the Gem State comes out on top on this one. To heighten the contrast between what Utah considers the inappropriate treatment of a corpse versus the appropriate treatment, we'll begin with what's banned.

According to the Utah State Legislature Section 9-8-302, the desecration of a deceased human body during any stage of decomposition is defined as:

1) a failure to report the discovery of a corpse to local law enforcement;

2) the disturbance, relocation, and/or the concealment of a corpse;

3) the destruction of a whole corpse or even part of it;

4) the disinterment of a buried or otherwise interred corpse without court order;

5) the dismemberment of a corpse in any capacity without court order;

6) and finally, the act of or the attempt to engage in the sexual penetration of the corpse.

Under Utah law, desecrating a corpse is a third degree felony, and failure to report the discovery of corpse is a class B misdemeanor—two severe consequences. Paraphrased as it is, it's still clear that the Utah Criminal Code goes to great lengths to exercise respect for its departed. Why then? How then? Is cannibalism not outlawed in Utah?!

Cannibalism, the act of one person willfully consuming another, is legal in the Beehive State. Before you go there, yes, we know the vile practice is legal at the federal level throughout the United States except in Idaho. Uncle Sam's most prominent talking point defending the grisly matter pertains to emergency survival scenarios. During times of extreme and foodless peril, one person may eat another to survive potentially dire conditions.

One thing that makes Idaho wildly different than Utah is its hard stance against humans eating humans. Of all 50 states, the Gem State is without peers on the issue. Idaho Statute 18-5003 Chapter 50 Mayhem states the following:

Any person who willfully ingests the flesh or blood of a human being is guilty of cannibalism.
(2) It shall be an affirmative defense to a violation of the provisions of this section that the action was taken under extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival.
(3) Cannibalism is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding fourteen (14) years.

Idaho's anti-cannibalism position seems to imply states who don't openly and ardently oppose the act are for it. Is that presumptuous of us? If pondering your answer is a deterrent to consuming human flesh, by all means, chew on it.

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.