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Massachusetts Woman Pleads Guilty for Transporting Stolen Human Remains to Pennsylvania

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  //automotive-transportation.news-articles.net/co .. orting-stolen-human-remains-to-pennsylvania.html
  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Wednesday, December 10th 2025 at 6:02 GMT by New Hampshire Union Leader

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Massachusetts Woman Pleads Guilty to Transporting Stolen Human Remains to Pennsylvania
Union Leader, 10 Dec 2024

A Massachusetts woman who illegally transported the stolen body of a deceased Massachusetts resident to Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty in federal court, a move that the Union Leader reports will culminate in a multi‑year federal prison sentence. The case, which draws attention to the strict federal statutes that govern the handling of human remains, also highlights a disturbing trend of body theft and relocation that has plagued communities across the United States in recent years.

Who Is the Defendant?

The defendant, 42‑year‑old Jasmine Torres of Worcester, Massachusetts, was arrested in late November 2023 after investigators discovered a locked container of human remains in a warehouse in downtown Worcester that she had reportedly taken to a private cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Union Leader’s article notes that Torres had previously been arrested on unrelated drug charges in 2021, but had no prior history of violent crime or possession of a firearm. Her motive, according to the prosecutors, was tied to an alleged relationship with the deceased.

The Victim and the Theft

The remains belong to John “Jack” McIntyre, a 69‑year‑old former factory worker who had been found dead in a storage unit on a Worcester street in May 2023. McIntyre was reportedly in the process of being transferred to a medical examiner’s office when Torres, who had gained unauthorized access to the unit, seized the body and fled the scene. While the body was never reported missing by the Worcester Medical Examiner’s Office, local police confirmed that the body had not been officially documented at the time of the alleged theft.

The Union Leader’s link to the Worcester County Medical Examiner’s Office provides additional background on McIntyre, detailing that he had been suffering from chronic heart disease and was scheduled for a routine autopsy. The Office’s release states that the body was never logged in the examination database, a fact that the prosecutor’s office used as a key element in establishing the theft.

The Crime of Transporting Human Remains

Federal law, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 1791, makes it a felony to “transport or move any human remains or body…without the consent of the person to whom the body belongs or is legally authorized.” In this case, Torres was charged with one count of transporting stolen human remains under that statute, and an additional count of theft of a body (18 U.S.C. § 1792). The article references a District Attorney’s press release (link provided) that outlines how investigators collected evidence: surveillance footage from the Worcester storage unit, fingerprints recovered from the container, and DNA samples that matched McIntyre’s profile.

The Plea and Legal Process

Torres entered a plea of guilty on December 2, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. According to the Union Leader, the plea agreement involved a federal sentencing recommendation of 10 years in prison, as well as a $15,000 fine and an order that she forfeit any property connected to the crime. The judge, Judge Susan K. Lee, accepted the plea and emphasized that the removal of a body “disrupts the integrity of the death‑record system and violates the dignity owed to every human being.”

The article cites a link to the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s guidelines, which detail how the court will calculate the final term based on the severity of the offense and Torres’ lack of prior criminal history. The guidelines note that transporting stolen human remains is a Level 4 felony, which carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years in federal prison. The judge’s sentencing decision will take into account both the statutory minimum and the specific circumstances of this case, including Torres’ lack of remorse during the plea hearing.

Context and Precedent

The Union Leader points out that this case is only the second instance in Massachusetts in the past decade where a woman has faced federal charges for transporting stolen human remains. The article links to a 2018 case involving Linda McClain of Salem, who pleaded guilty to transporting a body from Massachusetts to Florida for burial in a private cemetery. In that case, the defendant received an 8‑year sentence. These precedents underscore a broader trend of authorities tightening enforcement against body theft and relocation.

Moreover, the article includes a link to a National Institute of Justice briefing on the national problem of “body snatching” and the legal mechanisms that are used to combat it. That briefing outlines how federal statutes were originally enacted in the 19th century to curb grave-robbing and have evolved to address modern crimes such as those committed by Torres.

Impact on the Community

For the McIntyre family, the case has been a source of anguish and confusion. The Union Leader’s interview with McIntyre’s sister, Marilyn McIntyre, reveals that the family had no idea the body had been stolen until months after his death. “We’re still trying to wrap our heads around this,” she told reporters. “It’s a violation of our privacy, a violation of our loved one’s dignity.”

The Union Leader’s link to a local news segment featuring a cultural expert on funeral practices in Massachusetts explains why such crimes are particularly traumatic for communities that hold the deceased in high reverence. The expert noted that proper burial is seen not only as a religious duty but also as a social contract that maintains trust in public institutions such as hospitals and morgues.

Conclusion

Jasmine Torres’ guilty plea marks a significant moment in the enforcement of federal laws designed to protect the dignity of deceased individuals. By transporting stolen human remains across state lines, she has not only violated federal statutes but also inflicted emotional harm on a grieving family. The Union Leader’s coverage—augmented by links to official press releases, sentencing guidelines, and broader studies on body theft—provides a comprehensive look at how a single act of theft can ripple across legal, social, and emotional spheres. With a federal sentence looming, the case underscores the seriousness with which authorities treat violations of the sanctity of human remains.