Was it proven that the woman's remains were dug up by these animal rights' activists? I skimmed over the links provided, but didn't see anything definitive about the culprit ...
I find it very difficult to have any sympathy for these animal abusers, despite the fact that they were victims of a grave robber. The woman whose remains were taken is dead - she is not suffering at all from having her remains dug up. And even if she was only related by marriage and didn't have anything to do with the guinea pig business, did she do anything about it? If she sat by and let it happen without trying to stop it, then she is ... or was, I should say ... as guilty as those carrying out the abuse.
Someone said that the behavior of this family, while distasteful, was legal. Perhaps that's true ... and that all the abuse that occurred was , n fact, legal ... but does that make it right? Just because something is legal doesn't make it right or okay. At one point in time, it was legal to own slaves. At one point in time, it was legal to force children to work dangerous jobs in factories. At one point in time, it was legal to keep women from voting. In some states, there are still laws, obscure though they may be, that allow a man to beat his wife, as long as he doesn't use anything wider than his thumb to do it with. I think everyone will agree that these things are not okay or right ... but they did or still do occur ....
And yes, slavery was outlawed, minors in the workplace were outlawed, and women were allowed to vote .... but it took radical, dramatic action to achieve those goals. Susan B. Anthony broke the law by showing up at a voting station. Hundreds of people broke the law helping slaves escape slavery through the underground railroad .... are/were they as bad as those doing the enslaving or those keeping the women from voting?
The real tragedy, in my opinion, is the fact that it took such extreme action to achieve better treatment for animals. I think it stinks that laws are so slow, weak, and ineffectual that it took a grave robbery to initiate the change.
Do I think the ends justify the means? One dead woman's remains vs. the suffering of thousands of living animals? Hell yes, I think the ends justify the means.