# Can someone confess to a murder after being acquitted?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-confess-to-a-murder-after-being-acquitted/152910>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 5, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-confess-to-a-murder-after-being-acquitted/152910 "2003-02-05T07:57:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-confess-to-a-murder-after-being-acquitted/152910/61 "2003-02-06T03:40:10Z")

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I would think the answer to the question in the OP is that it would be exceedingly risky to do so. The site that I cited indicates that general principles aren’t all that firm in this area and each case presents a unique opportunity for courts to allow prosecution on at least some charge or other if not the original one.

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**Author:** ![Mothchunks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@Mothchunks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mothchunks)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-confess-to-a-murder-after-being-acquitted/152910/62 "2003-02-06T09:18:13Z")

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“I didn’t kill my wife, but if I had, it would have been because I loved her very much.”

Sounds like a confession to me.

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