PHIL 2435 Lecture 6: 2.13 Riggs v. Palmer
Document Summary
The bulk of his estate went to his grandson (elmer) Elmer gets remarried and gets anxious about if he is going to change the will. Elmer kills his grandfather so he can"t change the will. Caught and convicted of the murder of his grandfather. The other beneficiaries are challenging elmer"s inheritance. The will is valid under state law. If you read the will literally, elmer should get the inheritance. You have to understand the intentions of the people who wrote it. Hypothetical: if a case like this was happening when they were debating the statute, the lawmakers would not allow elmer to receive the inheritance.
