What characterizes voluntary manslaughter?

Voluntary manslaughter is characterized by a person causing the death of another due to sudden passion arising from an adequate cause. This legal definition emphasizes the emotional state of the perpetrator at the time of the act—typically, they are provoked by a situation perceived as significantly threatening or insulting, which leads to a loss of self-control. The "adequate cause" suggests that the provocation must be significant enough to elicit such a strong emotional response that it mitigates the crime from murder to manslaughter, acknowledging that humans can act impulsively in extreme emotional distress.

In contrast, recklessly causing death, intentional killing without premeditation, and deaths resulting from a crime of passion each pertain to different legal standards and definitions. Recklessness implies a disregard for human life that doesn’t stem from an immediate emotional response. Likewise, killing without premeditation might not involve the type of sudden passion required for voluntary manslaughter, and while a crime of passion may describe situations related to emotional reactions, it lacks the specific legal definition that adequately captures the essence of voluntary manslaughter as defined in Missouri law.