The slayer statute and insanity.
It is common law that persons cannot benefit from their crimes. For this reason, most states have enacted slayer rules that prevent a killer from sharing in the victim's estate. However, terms in the slayer rules, such as willful and unlawful, can be difficult to apply, as illustrated by the situation in which a slayer is found not guilty by reason of insanity. The Washington Supreme Court has recently addressed whether a man who killed his mother and was then found not guilty by reason of insanity in criminal court can inherit a portion of his mother's estate.
Piel
Jennifer
J
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Box 356560, Seattle, WA 98195-6560, USA. piel@u.washington.edu
Leong
Gregory B
GB
D000328:Adult; D002194:Capgras Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002961:Civil Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D007352:Insurance, Life / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D009042:Motivation; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014861:Washington; D014918:Wills / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*