ASIS International (ASIS) Professional Certified Investigator Practice Exam

What type of homicide occurs when someone's actions directly cause the death of another person?

1. First-degree murder

2. Capital murder

3. Manslaughter

4. Criminally negligent homicide

The correct answer is: Criminally negligent homicide

The type of homicide described in the question refers to criminally negligent homicide. This occurs when an individual acts in a way that shows a disregard for the foreseeable consequences of their actions, leading to the unintentional death of another person. The key aspect is that their conduct was negligent, meaning that it fell short of the standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise in the same situation, resulting in a fatal outcome. In this context, while first-degree murder and capital murder typically involve an element of intent or premeditation, criminally negligent homicide is more about the lack of intent but still resulting in death due to reckless actions. Manslaughter can also involve causing death, but it usually refers to actions taken in the heat of passion or without premeditation, which differ from the negligence focus of criminally negligent homicide. Thus, the correct identification of criminally negligent homicide aligns best with the definition provided in the question.