Legal Definitions - slayer statute

Slayer Statute

A slayer statute is a law that prevents an individual who unlawfully and intentionally causes the death of another person from inheriting any property or assets from the deceased person's estate.

This prohibition applies regardless of whether the deceased had a will (testacy) or died without one (intestacy). The purpose of such a statute is to ensure that no one profits financially from committing a wrongful act, particularly murder, against the person from whom they stand to inherit.

Here are some examples illustrating how a slayer statute might apply:

• Example 1: Intentional Murder for Inheritance

  Scenario: A man named David is the sole beneficiary in his wealthy uncle's will. Desperate for money, David intentionally poisons his uncle, hoping to quickly receive his inheritance.

  Application: If David is convicted of his uncle's murder, the slayer statute would prevent him from inheriting any part of his uncle's estate, despite being named in the will. The inheritance would then typically pass to the next eligible beneficiaries, as if David had died before his uncle.

• Example 2: Unlawful Killing in a Domestic Dispute

  Scenario: Sarah and her husband, Mark, have a heated argument. In a fit of rage, Sarah shoves Mark, causing him to fall down a flight of stairs and suffer a fatal head injury. Sarah is later convicted of voluntary manslaughter for Mark's death. Mark did not have a will, meaning his assets would normally be distributed according to state intestacy laws, which would typically grant a significant portion to his surviving spouse, Sarah.

  Application: Because Sarah unlawfully caused Mark's death, the slayer statute would prevent her from inheriting any of Mark's estate through intestacy. His assets would instead be distributed to other legal heirs, such as their children or Mark's parents, as if Sarah had predeceased him.

• Example 3: Beneficiary of a Life Insurance Policy

  Scenario: Emily is named as the primary beneficiary on her husband Robert's substantial life insurance policy. Emily later hires someone to murder Robert. She is subsequently convicted of orchestrating his murder.

  Application: The slayer statute would prevent Emily from collecting the proceeds of Robert's life insurance policy, even though she was the named beneficiary. The insurance payout would typically go to the contingent beneficiaries named in the policy, or if none, to Robert's estate to be distributed to other legal heirs, ensuring Emily does not benefit from her crime.