Voluntary manslaughter is when someone kills another person but did it in the heat of the moment after being seriously provoked — not in cold blood like murder. It also covers helping someone else commit suicide. The person accused has to be the one to bring up the 'heat of the moment' argument in court. It is a serious felony with major prison time.
Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.
565.023. , — under influence of , 's to inject. — 1. A person commits the of voluntary manslaughter if he or she:
(1) Causes the death of another person under circumstances that would constitute under (1) of 1 of section 565.021, except that he or she caused the death under the influence of sudden passion arising from ; or
(2) assists another in the of .
2. The defendant shall have the of influence of sudden passion arising from adequate cause under subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of this section.
3. The offense of voluntary manslaughter is a .
Tap any gold-underlined word to see what it means.
Red section numbers link to that law.
Source & history notes
(L. 1983 S.B. 276, A.L. 1984 S.B. 448 § A, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491) Effective 1-01-17
Related Missouri laws
Involuntary manslaughter, first degree, penalty
RSMo 565.024
Second degree murder, penalty
RSMo 565.021
First degree murder, penalty
RSMo 565.020
Involuntary manslaughter, second degree, penalty
RSMo 565.027
Lesser degree offenses in homicide cases
RSMo 565.029
Trial procedure, first degree murder
RSMo 565.030
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.