Legal Definitions - mariticide

Mariticide refers to:

• The act of a wife unlawfully killing her husband.
• The woman who commits such an act.

This term specifically describes the murder of a husband by his wife, distinguishing it from other forms of homicide where the relationship between the perpetrator and victim is different.

Here are a few examples illustrating the concept of mariticide:

• After a long and contentious divorce proceeding, a woman named Clara was found guilty of intentionally setting fire to her estranged husband's home, resulting in his death. The court convicted her of mariticide for the deliberate killing of her spouse.

  Explanation: This scenario clearly demonstrates mariticide because Clara, the wife, committed the unlawful act that led to the death of her husband.

• In a dramatic true crime documentary, investigators revisited the cold case of a prominent businessman whose wife, many years prior, was suspected but never charged with his murder. The documentary frequently used the term mariticide to describe the alleged crime she was believed to have committed against him.

  Explanation: Here, mariticide is used to describe the suspected act of a wife killing her husband, even in the absence of a conviction, highlighting its application in discussions about such alleged crimes.

• During a heated domestic dispute, a woman named Brenda fatally stabbed her husband, Michael. While her defense argued it was an act of self-preservation, the prosecution sought to prove it was a premeditated act of mariticide, asserting she intended to end his life.

  Explanation: This example illustrates mariticide as it describes a wife, Brenda, allegedly causing the death of her husband, Michael, making the act the subject of a legal charge or investigation under this specific term.