Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation which makes desecration of a human corpse a felony.

The Jennifer Cave Act intends to strengthen current law which, depending on the circumstances, considers corpse desecration a misdemeanor. It also offers counseling to jurors subjected to graphic images or testimony during trials.

The law goes into effect Sept. 1. It was authored by Reps. Juan Garcia and John Otto.

Sharon Cave asked Garcia to draft the legislation. Her 21-year-old daughter Jennifer was shot, stabbed and partially dismembered two years ago.

Sharon says she was driven to help the jurors who had to view gruesome pictures of her daughter's dismembered body during a murder trial in January.

Colton Pitonyak was convicted of killing Cave and sentenced to 55 years in prison.

Laura Hall is accused of tampering with evidence in Cave's murder. Defense lawyers painted Hall as the person whose idea it was to cut up the body. She is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 13.

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