2023 Missouri Revised Statutes Title XXXVIII – Crimes and Punishment; Peace Officers and Public Defenders Chapter 565 – Offenses Against the Person
Missouri Chapter 565: Offenses Against the Person
Chapter 565 of the Missouri Revised Statutes defines crimes that directly harm another person—such as assault, homicide, kidnapping, harassment, and elder abuse. These are some of the most serious offenses under Missouri law, and many carry the potential for long prison terms, mandatory minimums, and felony records. Whether you’re facing charges or trying to understand the law, this chapter covers the statutes that prosecutors rely on in violent and personal crimes.
What Chapter 565 Covers
- Homicide and manslaughter (including juvenile sentencing)
- All degrees of assault and domestic assault
- Kidnapping, child abduction, and custody interference
- Harassment, stalking, and invasion of privacy
- Abuse of the elderly or disabled
Click any statute below for a simplified breakdown of what the law says, how it’s used, and what penalties you could face under Chapter 565.
Chapter 565 Statutes Explained
- Overview: Chapter 565 – Offenses Against the Person
- § 565.003 – Homicide: Wrong Person or Delayed Death
- § 565.004 – Combining Murder With Other Charges
- § 565.010 – When Consent Is a Legal Defense
- § 565.020 – First-Degree Murder Penalties
- § 565.021 – Second-Degree Murder
- § 565.023 – Voluntary Manslaughter
- § 565.024 – Involuntary Manslaughter (1st Degree)
- § 565.027 – Involuntary Manslaughter (2nd Degree)
- § 565.030 – Trial Procedure for First-Degree Murder
- § 565.033 – Sentencing Minors for First-Degree Murder
- § 565.034 – Juvenile Life Without Parole
- § 565.050 – First-Degree Assault
- § 565.052 – Second-Degree Assault
- § 565.054 – Third-Degree Assault
- § 565.056 – Fourth-Degree Assault
- § 565.072 – First-Degree Domestic Assault
- § 565.073 – Second-Degree Domestic Assault
- § 565.074 – Third-Degree Domestic Assault
- § 565.076 – Fourth-Degree Domestic Assault
- § 565.079 – Prior & Persistent Assault Offenders
- § 565.090 – First-Degree Harassment
- § 565.091 – Second-Degree Harassment
- § 565.110 – First-Degree Kidnapping
- § 565.115 – Child Kidnapping
- § 565.120 – Second-Degree Kidnapping
- § 565.130 – Third-Degree Kidnapping
- § 565.140 – Defenses to Third-Degree Kidnapping
- § 565.150 – Interference With Custody
- § 565.156 – Child Abduction
- § 565.160 – Custody or Kidnapping Defenses
- § 565.184 – Abuse of Elderly or Disabled Person
- § 565.188 – Failure to Report Elder Abuse
- § 565.225 – First-Degree Stalking
- § 565.227 – Second-Degree Stalking
- § 565.240 – Unlawful Posting of Personal Information Online
- § 565.252 – Invasion of Privacy
Charged With a Violent or Personal Offense in Missouri?
Crimes under Chapter 565 carry serious consequences—including long prison sentences, felony records, and mandatory minimums. Our Missouri criminal defense attorney have helped thousands of clients fight charges involving assault, homicide, kidnapping, and more. Contact us online or call (314) 900-HELP for a free consultation and aggressive defense representation across Missouri.
565.001. Procedure for chapter 565.
Explains how homicide and related cases must be handled under Missouri law
This law explains when and how the rules in Chapter 565 apply to homicide and similar crimes, including where those cases can be prosecuted.
1. The rules in Chapter 565 apply to how offenses defined in this chapter are charged, tried, punished, and appealed—if the crime happened after July 1, 1984.
2. If the crime happened before that date, then older laws apply. The case must be handled exactly as it would have been before Chapter 565 was created, even if other laws say otherwise.
3. Other criminal laws that don’t conflict with Chapter 565 still apply. But if there’s any conflict, the rules in Chapter 565 take priority.
4. People accused of homicide must be tried in:
- (1) The county where the crime happened; or
- (2) If parts of the crime happened in more than one county, then in any of those counties; or
- (3) The county where the victim’s body is found; or
- (4) If none of the above apply, then the county where the victim lived.
Contact us online or call (314) 900-HELP to talk with a Missouri criminal defense lawyer.
