On February 26, 2017, The Daily Mail reported about the murder of Helen Bailey, a successful children’s author. Her fiancé, Ian Stewart, murdered her for her fortune. Now that he was caught and sentenced, he will not inherit anything, regardless of the fact that she left him a substantial share in her will. This is because of a Slayer Statute. However, his son’s will still inherit.
Although this article does not discuss a Florida case, Florida has a Slayer Statute that is probably similar. What is a Slayer Statute? Can a boyfriend kill his girlfriend and then inherit from her? The Slayer Statute prevents a murderer from inheriting from their murder victim. The court will pretend that the person who is found responsible for the murder (i.e. slaying) predeceased the decedent. This makes sense! If it did not exist, a husband could kill his wife and still inherit his wife’s fortune. Does Florida’s slayer statute extend past the actual killer? No!
Florida’s Slayer Statute does not extend past the actual killer. This means that, although Stewart killed Bailey, Stewart’s sons will still inherit as beneficiaries of Bailey’s will. To read the entire article, click here.
