Amanda Lynn's Law Passed By New York State Senate
March 7, 2013
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ISSUE:
- Criminal
New York State Senator Mark Grisanti (R,I,-60) today announced that the New York State Senate has voted to pass Bill S.1590, which makes it a crime to conceal a death by knowingly moving or otherwise hiding a human corpse so that discovery of the death will be hindered.
The bill is sponsored by Senator Grisanti and Amanda Lynn's Law has passed the Senate the past two years. It will now be sent to the Assembly.
"I am pleased that the Senate has voted to pass this law in honor of Amanda Lynn," said Senator Grisanti. "The current law on the books is totally inadequate for the seriousness of the crime of improperly disposing of a human being. With the passing of Amanda Lynn's Law, anyone who attempts to move or conceal a body in the attempt to hinder its discovery will find the full weight of the legal system thrown at them."
In January 2009, Amanda Wienckowski's naked body was found stuffed inside a garbage tote. The exact cause of her death has been disputed ever since and one key issue in the investigation has been where her body was found. It is believed that her corpse was moved from the original crime scene.
Grisanti strongly urged his colleagues in the Assembly to follow the Senate's lead and approve the bill.
"This vote is my latest attempt to get this bill introduced to the Assembly and hopefully become a law," said Grisanti. "As an attorney, I took particular interest in this legislation. We know that poor Amanda did not land in that dumpster by herself. Somebody put her there. When somebody does something so horrendous like that, they need to be held accountable. They are tampering with evidence and tampering with the potential of a crime scene. The time has come to act on this."
The proposed law will now go to the New York State Assembly for consideration. If approved by the Assembly, the bill would advance to be signed by the governor so that the law would go into effect later this year.
The bill, also referred to as "Amanda Lynn's Law," would make the commission of this crime a D Felony up from a misdemeanor for the improper disposal of a dead body.