720 ILCS 5/9-3.4 – Concealment of Homicidal Death
This law makes it a crime to hide or cover up a killing if you know someone “has died by homicidal means” (AKA was murdered).
If someone knows that a person has been killed and tries to hide that death or delay people from finding out, that person can be charged with concealment of homicidal death, which is a Class 3 felony.
(a) A person breaks this law if they knowingly hide the death of someone else and they know the person was killed.
(b) This law doesn’t stop the person from also being charged with murder or manslaughter for the same death.
(b-5) For this law:
- “Conceal” means doing something that actively hides or delays others from finding out that a person was killed. It’s more than just keeping quiet or not telling someone.
- “Homicidal means” means any actions by a person that cause another person’s death, whether lawful or unlawful.
(c) Hiding a death that you know was caused by another person is a Class 3 felony, which generally carry 3-5 year prison sentences.
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