5 popular crimes of passion

It is instant, spontaneous and usually occurs when a person attacks (in most cases kills) his/her lover or rival.

Crimes of passion that lead to death are manslaughters and not murders because they are not premeditated.

The most recent crime of passion in Nigeria is the death of Bilyaminu Bello at the hands of his wife Maryam Sanda. Bello was allegedly stabbed to death in his sleep by his wife.

Crimes of passion are common as they happen all the time. Here are 5 famous cases;

1) Jodi Arias

In 2008, Jodi Arias brutally murdered her former boyfriend Travis Alexander. Arias and Alexander had dated for two months before they split although they maintained a sexual relationship. Travis Alexander would later die from a gunshot to his head. His body was found four days after the incident. His body had more than 12 stab wounds. His throat was sliced. Jodi Arias claimed self-defence in court. She was still convicted of murder.

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2) Lorena Bobbitt

Lorena Bobbitt was found not guilty of cutting off a part of his penis in 1993. Bobbitt claimed that her husband had tried to rape her and he was sexually abusive towards her as well as claims of infidelity.

3) Lisa Nowak

Lisa Nowak who was an astronaut drove from Houston to Orlando to meet with Colleen Shipman who was the other woman in her relationship. Nowak took a drilling hammer, a disguise, latex gloves, a BB pistol, plastic bags and a knife with her for the journey. She got in Orlando just in time to meet Shipman. Nowak went on to attack her but thankfully the police came in time before she could cause permanent damage. Lisa Nowak pleaded guilty to all the charges and got a year's probation. Lucky her.

4) Brynn Hartman

Brynn Hartman was the wife of the popular comedian Phil Hartman who made sketches for Saturday Night Live. In 1998 she killed her husband after she got into an argument with him over her drug problem. Brynn killed Phil in his sleep by shooting him three times. She committed suicide shortly after.

5) Yewande Oyediran

A female lawyer Yewande Oyediran was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for manslaughter. On February 2, 2016, she stabbed her husband in the neck which led to his death.