Manslaughter is always a tricky business when it comes to criminal law. What happens when one person kills another person unintentionally? Should the killer be charged with murder? Says a representative of the Law Office of Aaron M. Black, PLLC, criminal defense attorney in Phoenix, there’s a distinct difference between murder and involuntary manslaughter. In the former, one person sets out purposely to kill another person, either through vengeance or some other, emotionally charged reason.

However, according to a separate source, involuntary manslaughter refers to the unintentional killing “through the commission of a crime other than a felony.”  However, the nuances between manslaughter and actual murder can reach their apex with “involuntary manslaughter.” This is due to the fact that an accidental killing via reckless behavior can, in criminal legal circles, constitute “second-degree murder.”

Take the case of Caitlyn Jenner’s (formerly Bruce Jenner) 2015 Southern California car crash in which the former Olympic gold medalist killed a woman by the name of Kim Howe. Is this a case of involuntary manslaughter? Or is it murder?

While the answers to these questions are not black and white, one thing is said to be certain: Jenner was not charged with anything in the accident, even though some witnesses are said to believe the famous athlete turned reality TV show star was driving recklessly if not dangerously.  

Kim Howe’s Last Day

According to a new report, on February 7^th, 2015, Caitlyn Jenner was reputed to be driving far too fast “for the conditions of the road.” She would later deny any accusations of dangerous driving but instead would insist that she was “visually distracted” by paparazzi who had been chasing her all day.   

Jenner’s SUV, which at the time was towing a 4X4 off-road vehicle, smashed into Kim How’s Lexus sedan which then collided with a Toyota which was being driven by Jessica Steindorff.

The Lexus was immediately “pushed into oncoming traffic.” It was hit head-on by a Hummer. Howe was killed instantly and pronounced dead on the scene by the L.A. County coroner who arrived shortly thereafter. Also, two more adults and five minors who sustained various degrees of injury were rushed to a nearby hospital.

Jenner, however, was said to be unhurt.    

The Investigation Begins

Sources close to the scene attested that Jenner cooperated fully at the scene of the accident. She was also subjected to a sobriety test which she passed. Initially, the police were said to be considering charging Jenner with vehicular manslaughter. But after an investigation that lasted until September of that same year, the courts found that there was not enough evidence to prosecute Jenner for either involuntary manslaughter or, for that matter, second-degree murder.

Said Blair Blake, Jenner’s criminal defense attorney, from the start we believed that a comprehensive, thorough, and objective investigation would inevitably clear Jenner of any criminal misbehavior.

Not satisfied with the court ruling, Dana Redmond and William Howe, Kim Howe’s stepchildren, filed a civil suit against Caitlyn Jenner for the direct role she played in their mother’s death. In their mind, the accident was a case of second-degree murder.

But critics of the suit said that the children were never very close to their mother and that it was nothing more than a money-grabbing, “publicity stunt.” That said, the case was settled out of court with the insurance company paying “a modest amount.” Jenner never had to pay a single dime out of pocket.

But in December of 2015, Jenner was forced to settle yet another lawsuit that was brought about by the surviving family. For this, it’s said the former Olympian had to come up with personal funds.

Jenner’s Lack of Apology

Around the time of the accident, Caitlyn Jenner issued a lengthy statement that fell short of an actual apology. She stated that her deepest and most heartfelt sympathies went out to the loved ones and family members of all those who were involved and/or injured in the devastating and tragic accident.

“I cannot pretend to imagine what this family is going through at this time,” Jenner said. She also said that she was keeping them in her prayers and that she was willing to cooperate with the law in all possible ways.

The family spoke out about the deadly vehicular incident after Jenner played a part in the British TV show, I’m a Celebrity. Said Dana Redmond, the accident robbed us of the chance to issue a heartfelt goodbye to Kim. Redmond also wished Jenner “the best of luck in the jungle.”  

Manslaughter or Celebrity Status

Despite the legal outcome of the lethal accident, some question whether or not Jenner got away with second-degree murder because of her enormous celebrity status. Some people close to the Howe family have said they wish Jenner would have acted more empathetically toward them.

Jenner, who recently initiated a failed run for Governor of California, is not the first would-be politician to have avoided criminal proceedings on behalf of a person who was killed due to his or her reckless behavior. One of the most famous of these is Senator Ted Kennedy’s accident on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts when, while drunk driving, ran his car off a bridge, killing his young passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.

So then, should Kennedy have been charged with second-degree murder or even manslaughter when Kopechne’s death was clearly his fault? Should Jenner have been charged with second-degree murder or manslaughter in the death of Kim Howe? Unfortunately, the courts have spoken on both cases, so the true legal implications may never be known.

Jenner, like Kenney, is not only internationally famous but wealthy. That alone speaks volumes when it comes to a sad case of rough criminal justice