Double murder
Encyclopedia
Double murder is a term used to describe the act of unlawfully killing two people. This is commonly punished by back-to-back life sentences
. It is possible but rare for a double-murder charge to be enforced in cases of homicide
in which a pregnant woman is murdered, thereby killing her unborn fetus, such as in the Laci Peterson
case. In most jurisdictions, such a case will not happen, because in general, a fetus is not legally considered a person, and thus killing a fetus is not legally equivalent to homicide.
Even though it is not necessarily correct, the term is often attached to incidents involving higher numbers of people such as if three or four people were to be murdered.
Back-to-back life sentences
In judicial practice, back-to-back life sentences are two consecutive life sentences given to a felon. This penalty is typically used to prevent the felon from ever getting released from prison....
. It is possible but rare for a double-murder charge to be enforced in cases of homicide
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
in which a pregnant woman is murdered, thereby killing her unborn fetus, such as in the Laci Peterson
Laci Peterson
Laci Denise Peterson was an American woman who was the subject of a highly discussed murder case after she went missing while seven and a half months pregnant with her first child. Peterson was reportedly last seen alive on December 24, 2002...
case. In most jurisdictions, such a case will not happen, because in general, a fetus is not legally considered a person, and thus killing a fetus is not legally equivalent to homicide.
Even though it is not necessarily correct, the term is often attached to incidents involving higher numbers of people such as if three or four people were to be murdered.
Notable cases
The following is a list of notable double murder cases.- Lizzie Borden, tried and acquitted for the murder of her father and stepmother
- Laci PetersonMurder of Laci PetersonLaci Denise Peterson was an American woman who was the subject of a highly discussed murder case after she went missing while seven and a half months pregnant with her first child. Peterson was reportedly last seen alive on December 24, 2002...
(pregnant), murdered by her husband Scott PetersonScott PetersonScott Lee Peterson , an American, was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child in Modesto, California, in 2002. Peterson's arrest and subsequent trial dominated the American news media until 2005, when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection... - Rachel Entwistle and Lillian Entwistle, murdered by their husband/father, Neil Entwistle
- Nancy Benoit and Daniel Benoit, allegedly murdered by Chris BenoitChris BenoitChristopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
- Nicole Brown SimpsonNicole Brown SimpsonNicole Brown Simpson was a former wife of professional football player O. J. Simpson.- Relationship with O. J. Simpson :...
and Ron Goldman, allegedly murdered by O.J. Simpson - Eric Bellucci, alumnus of Stuyvesant High SchoolStuyvesant High SchoolStuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
and Williams CollegeWilliams CollegeWilliams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, is accused of the murder of his father and mother in their Staten Island home in October 2010