McHugh
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newslne) -- The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals have remanded to a lower court the case of alleged grave desecration by a company working to relocate a gas pipeline.
The Court, in its opinion Thursday, answered five certified questions regarding the state's law of grave desecration, as requested by the Logan County Circuit Court.
Equitable Production Company hired General Pipeline Company in 2004 to relocate the gas pipeline on a large tract of wooded, unimproved land in Crystal Block Hollow in Logan County.
General Pipeline, at several different locations along the pipeline, used a small bulldozer to pull a truck loaded with pipe through those wooded sections.
On Aug. 7, 2004, the bulldozer was driven with its blade raised off the ground through an area containing grave sites.
The wooded area contained graves that allegedly were not indicated on any map or deed or list of grave sites maintained by any state agency, or by any obvious signs.
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