Mary and Joan have been best friends since grade school and meet for lunch every
ID: 348412 • Letter: M
Question
Mary and Joan have been best friends since grade school and meet for lunch every Wednesday. Mary is jealous of Joan’s recent marriage to Pete. Mary tells Joan that Joan’s husband Pete got Mary drunk one night and had sex with her while Joan was away visiting her mother. This was not true. However Joan believes Mary. Joan gets extremely angry and wants to teach Pete a lesson so he will never be tempted to have an affair again.
About two hours after the revelations at lunch, Pete comes home from work. Joan gives him his usual glass of wine, but has put a little poison in it. Joan does not think she added enough poison to kill Pete, just enough that he will be so sick that he will never drink again. Pete drinks the wine and becomes extremely sick. Pete passes out and stops breathing. Joan calls 911 immediately, but Pete dies.
What crimes if any have Joan and/or Mary committed?
Explanation / Answer
The case study is a clear example for murder. Joan is the murderer and she is known as the principal. Mary encourages Joan to commit the murder. The person who encourages committing a murder is known as the secondary party or the accessory. As per the legislation, the accessory should be punished in the same way as the principal. Joan should be convicted for murder and Mary should be provided the same punishment as that of Joan.