Murder-Suicide and Wrongful Death Claims
A murder-suicide case can, under certain circumstances, lead to a wrongful death claim. The spouse or heirs of a murder victim may file a claim against the personal representative of the alleged at-fault party’s estate. At Giometti & Mereness P.C., we are experienced both in representing the beneficiaries of alleged victims and in defending the estates of accused slayers.
A number of issues can develop in a wrongful death case arising out of alleged murder-suicide that can delay and complicate the resolution of a dispute. Issues of insurance coverage will arise if it is alleged or the circumstances show that the victim’s death was the result of an intentional act. Sometimes it is questionable whether the case is really one of murder-suicide as opposed to a mutual suicide pact or a crime committed by an intruder. To learn more about murder-suicide and wrongful death claims, call or e-mail us to schedule an appointment.
An investigation will be usually conducted by the police to determine the facts of an apparent murder-suicide. However, the results of a police investigation are not always clear cut. It is important to review the police investigation to ensure that the police did not jump to erroneous conclusions. For a variety of reasons, police departments that are investigating apparent murder-suicide cases some times do not thoroughly analyze or test the evidence. Questions that may arise include:
- What evidence do the police have to make their conclusion?
- What is the apparent motive?
- What are the results of the autopsy?
- What is the credibility of eyewitness statements?
- What does the firearms and ballistics evidence show?
- What does the DNA evidence show?
At Giometti & Mereness P.C., we know wrongful death claims inside and out. Call or e-mail us to learn more about murder-suicide cases and wrongful death claims in Colorado.
