Dubbed "Lori's Law" in honor of Lori Hacking, who was murdered by her husband nearly two years ago, the law increases the penalty for first-degree felony murder from five years to life to 15 years to life.

Supporters of the law said it will bring perception into line with the reality that Utah killers nearly always serve at least 20 years before being paroled.

Even so, when the families of murder victims have learned the minimum punishment is just five years, it can be a shock.

Lori's mother, Thelma Soares, said she recalled the day prosecutors explained the punishment her son-in-law, Mark Hacking, was facing.

"It was like someone had slapped me across the face," she said. "My perception was that the people of Utah . . . don't think Lori's life is worth any more than five years. It was like adding insult to injury.

"Hopefully that will not be told to any other parents in the future."

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Lorie Fowlke, R-Orem, said the law is "an attempt to address the concerns of the victims, which is very important."

Lori's father, Eraldo Soares, said that watching Huntsman sign the bill into law was "very emotional, very emotional . . . it made me feel good."

Soares, a California resident who spent the past 1 1/2 years making trips to Utah in support of the law, said his work here is now finished.

Hopefully, the law will save lives by making husbands "think twice before killing their spouses," he said.

"All I wanted was to give something back to the community," he added. "Now they can sleep at night. This will give them peace of mind."

Soares, who has been working as a substitute teacher, will now seek full-time work. "I need to get my life back," he said.

Thelma Soares said she has been putting her energy into a scholarship in Lori's name, which allows women in difficult circumstances to attend the University of Utah. She said the first recipient of the scholarship will be graduating in April.

Lori Hacking, 27, and her unborn child were killed in the early hours of July 19, 2004, when Mark Hacking shot the sleeping woman in the head at their Salt Lake City apartment.

He dumped her body and other evidence into garbage bins, then called police and reported her missing. Hacking later confessed to his brothers that he killed Lori because she had discovered he was lying about graduating from the U. of U. and about being accepted at a medical school in North Carolina.

Lori's remains were found at the Salt Lake County landfill after a two-month search through tons of garbage.

Hacking, 29, will stay in prison at least until August 2034 before he is considered for parole.