Closer Look at Georgia Murder Laws After Georgia Woman Arrested in Fatal Stabbing of her Mother

Jacquelyn Craft has been arrested for allegedly stabbing and killing her 65-year-old mother, Evelyn Craft. The facts have been reported as the following. Craft called police to her mother's Snellville home at 11:30 pm on Monday night. She allegedly told them that she found her mother dead after knocking down her locked bedroom door.

Investigators found multiple stab wounds in Evelyn's chest.

Homicide is a word thrown around quite frequently by the media. In Georgia, there are many different types of homicide including Georgia Voluntary Manslaughter, Georgia Involuntary Manslaughter, and Georgia Felony Murder. Unfortunately, most of the time, the different homicide offenses are thrown around incorrectly, and therefore people are confused on the actual meaning of the crimes.

Right now, Craft is being held in Gwinnett County jail on a murder charge, so as a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will do an in-depth look in today's post at the law behind murder in Georgia.

Murder in Georgia

Murder in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code as:

“A person commits the offense of murder when he unlawfully and with malice aforethought, express or implied, causes the death of another human being.” O.C.G.A. §16-5-1(a).

The offense of murder requires malice. Malice is defined as having a wicked or corrupt motive or an intention to do evil. Malice is implied by the Court when there is no considerable provocation done by the alleged victim. 

In order to be convicted of murder in Georgia, the prosecution must prove that the accused person is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by demonstrating through evidence that there was either express or implied malice involved in the killing of another human being. The penalty for a murder conviction in Georgia is a life sentence in prison without parole, the death penalty, or life in prison.

Practice Note

A charge is not the same as a conviction. However, being accused of a homicide offense is a very serious matter. Hiring a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney could mean the difference between life in prison and being deemed innocent by the state of Georgia.

If you or a loved one has been wrongfully accused of murder in Georgia, contact us today. The death of another human being is a horrifying situation. However, just because there has been a death does not mean that the accused person is legally responsible or that malice was involved. There are Georgia Criminal Defenses that exist for an accusation of murder. The defenses include but are not limited to:

• Self Defense in Georgia
• Defense of Others
• Accident
• Lack of Malice

As I mentioned above, if you have been charged with a crime in Georgia, do not wait to contact us. Our attorneys can walk you through every step of the way so that you have a clear understanding of not only your charges, but your rights.