Under the Slayer Rule, can H inherit from W if H killed W and a civil trial finds H liable for W’s death?

• A. Yes, H may inherit if the civil decision focuses on a different issue.
• B. Yes, H may inherit under certain conditions.
• C. No, because H killed W.
• D. No, because H was found liable in the civil trial.

Answer: (D)

The Slayer Rule bars an heir who feloniously and intentionally causes the decedent’s death (or who is liable for that death) from inheriting. Here, H killed W, and a civil trial has found H liable for W’s death. That civil liability demonstrates fault for the death, which is enough to trigger the rule. Therefore H cannot inherit W’s estate. The fact that the liability arose in a civil case, rather than a criminal conviction, is exactly the type of finding that can activate the bar in many jurisdictions. It’s not simply the act of killing alone; it’s the established liability for the death that prevents inheritance.