A Utah man recently had his felony charges for abuse or desecration of a dead human body dropped after prosecutors determined that he was using human skulls for legitimate religious purposes.
Photo: Neil and Kathy Carey
Roberto Casillas-Correlas was arrested in March when it was discovered that he had a number of human skulls in a shed behind his home. Casillas-Correlas was a priest in his religion, Santeria, and apparently was using the skulls in a religious ritual that he believed would help a sick relative. Santeria is a religion based on the African way of worshipping combined with certain elements of Catholicism.
Casillas-Correlas was facing two counts of abuse or desecration of a dead human body, which could have sent him to prison for up to five years. The statute involving this crime lists the following as illegal, if a person intentionally and unlawfully:
- Fails to report finding a dead human body to law enforcement;
- Disturbs, moves, removes, conceals or destroys any part of a dead human body;
- Takes a dead human body that has been buried from its burial place, without a court order;
- Dismembers, damages or detaches a dead human body in any way; or
- Attempts or succeeds at sexual penetration of a dead human body.
The occurrence of any of the above-mentioned situations is considered a third-degree felony.
Fortunately for Casillas-Correlas, prosecutors recognized that he was only acting according to his religious beliefs, whether or not they agreed with him. Freedom of religious expression is a right that most Americans cherish.
If you believe your First Amendment rights were ignored by law enforcement and you are now in a difficult legal situation, take time to call a respected Utah criminal defense attorney. He or she can listen to your side of the story and advise you as to what can be done. If someone else has taken your freedom for granted, don’t leave an equitable solution to chance. Get the legal help you need today.
