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The slayer rule, in the common law of inheritance, is a doctrine that prohibits inheritence by a person who murders someone from whom they stand to inherit. The effect of the slaying was that the slayer would be treated as though they had died before the person who had been murdered. The wrongful killing need only be proved by a preponderance of the evidence. If the slayer were later convicted of the murder, that would conclusively divest them of their interest; but if the slayer were acquitted of the murder, the court could still weigh the evidence and determine that they should be divested.
In the United States, most jurisdictions have enacted a slayer statute, which codifies the rule and supplies additional conditions.
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