Florida Inheritance Lawsuits: Does Florida Allow a Convicted Murderer to Inherit From His or Her Victim?

It is shocking what some people will do for money. As John Pankauski, managing partner at Pankauski Hauser PLLC, states in Pankauski Probate Litigation Guide: Top 10 Probate Mistakes Revealed, “your family is going to fight over your wealth: when you’re gone and – perhaps – while you’re still alive.” On July, 17, 2017, ABC News reports that a Nathan Carman, a man who made the news for being rescued at sea after seven days, may have murdered his grandfather. Furthermore, there are allegations that he may have been involved with his mom’s death. Can he still inherit from his grandfather if he is found guilty of murdering him?  

Carman  was the last known person to see his grandfather alive. His mother, who had been on the boat with him, was never to be found. Did he kill his family members so that he could inherit their wealth? Attorneys for his aunts  filed a petition that alleges he killed his grandfather “out of malice and greed”. The petition also requests that the probate court “block the sizeable inheritance he now stands to gain.” A probate attorney in West Palm Beach can tell you that Florida Statute 732.802, also known as the Slayer Statute, bars a convicted murderer from benefitting under a will of the decedent that he or she murdered. Will his aunts be able to successfully keep Carman from his inheritance even though he has not yet been convicted of the murder? What if Carman is found to be innocent by a jury? Does the slayer statute only prevent CONVICTED murderers from inheriting from their victims? To read the entire article, click here.