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Opinion: Murder on the high seas: CT’s slayer rule on trial

By Gerry W. Beyer

Marthas-vineyard-charter-fishing-menemshaLast month, Nathan Carman was charged with “murder on the high seas,” after allegedly killing his mother on a boating trip. Carman is also suspected of killing his grandfather, although he has not been charged at this time.

Connecticut, like most states, has a “slayer rule” on the books, which operates on the idea that nobody should profit from their own wrongdoing. Carman’s case is unique and raises two questions: (1) does the slayer rule apply to unintentional killings? And (2) should it apply in the absence of a criminal conviction if the killing is established in probate court?

Currently, Connecticuts slayer rule applies to reckless manslaughter and is triggered only by criminal conviction. 

For more Information:

See Frederick E. Vars “Murder on the high seas: CT’s slayer rule on trial,” New Haven Register, June 18, 2022.