K.S.A. » Chapter 21
Kansas Statutes Annotated

K.S.A. § 21-5404 (2026)

Voluntary manslaughter

✓ current as of May 2026
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21-5404. Voluntary manslaughter. (a) Voluntary manslaughter is knowingly killing a human being committed:

(1) Upon a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion; or

(2) upon an unreasonable but honest belief that circumstances existed that justified use of deadly force under K.S.A. 21-5222, 21-5223 or 21-5225, and amendments thereto.

(b) Voluntary manslaughter is a severity level 3, person felony.

History: L. 2010, ch. 136, § 39; L. 2011, ch. 30, § 17; July 1.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 49 cases (30 in the last 5 years), 2014–2026 · leading case: State v. Fisher, 373 P.3d 781 (Kan. 2016).
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State v. Fisher, 373 P.3d 781 (Kan. 2016). · cites it 3× “" K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 21-5404(a)(2). Under K.”
State v. Brownlee, 354 P.3d 525 (Kan. 2015). · cites it 4× “26 On the second question of whether a voluntary manslaughter instruction was legally appropriate, we recognize that voluntary manslaughter—the knowing killing of a human being committed upon a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion, K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5404(a)—is a lesser…”
State v. Campbell, 423 P.3d 539 (Kan. 2018). · cites it 2× “" K.S.A. 2017 Supp. 21-5404. The core elements are an intentional killing and legally sufficient provocation.”
State v. Gallegos, 485 P.3d 622 (Kan. 2021). “" K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5404(a). The core elements of voluntary manslaughter are an intentional killing and a legally sufficient provocation.”
State v. Gentry, 449 P.3d 429 (Kan. 2019). “" K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 21-5404. "Heat of passion" is "'any intense or vehement emotional excitement of the kind prompting violent and aggressive action, such as rage, anger, hatred, furious resentment, fright, or terror,' based 'on impulse without reflection.”
State v. Gulley, 505 P.3d 354 (Kan. 2022). · cites it 2× “K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5404(a)(2). Heat of passion voluntary manslaughter has no such requirement.”
State v. Colson, 480 P.3d 167 (Kan. 2021). “Discussion Voluntary manslaughter, under K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 21-5404, is a lesser included offense of intentional second-degree murder, under K.”
State v. Woods, 348 P.3d 583 (Kan. 2015). “An intentional killing and legally sufficient provocation are the key elements of voluntary manslaughter under K.S.A. 2011 Supp. 21-5404(a). State v. Hayes, 299 Kan.”
State v. Douglas, 490 P.3d 34 (Kan. 2021). “3d 32 (2020) (voluntary manslaughter is a lesser included offense of first-degree premeditated murder); K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5404 (a)(1) ("Voluntary manslaughter is knowingly killing a human being committed .”
State v. Parker, 459 P.3d 793 (Kan. 2020). “" K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 21-5404(a). The core elements of voluntary manslaughter are an intentional killing and legally sufficient provocation.”
State v. Gooding, 335 P.3d 698 (Kan. Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 3× “” The district court instructed the jury that in order to establish the charge of voluntary manslaughter, each of the following elements had to be proved: (1) Gooding knowingly killed Mills; (2) the killing was done upon a sudden quarrel; and (3) the act occurred on or about the…”
State v. Nunez, 486 P.3d 606 (Kan. 2021). “K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5404(a)(2); Salary, 301 Kan.”
Show all 49 citing cases →
— K.S.A. § 21-5404(1) — 1 case
State v. Ruiz-Ascencio (Kan. 2017).
— K.S.A. § 21-5404(a) — 15 cases
State v. Brownlee, 354 P.3d 525 (Kan. 2015). “26 On the second question of whether a voluntary manslaughter instruction was legally appropriate, we recognize that voluntary manslaughter—the knowing killing of a human being committed upon a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion, K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5404(a)—is a lesser…”
State v. Gallegos, 485 P.3d 622 (Kan. 2021). “" K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5404(a). The core elements of voluntary manslaughter are an intentional killing and a legally sufficient provocation.”
State v. Woods, 348 P.3d 583 (Kan. 2015). “An intentional killing and legally sufficient provocation are the key elements of voluntary manslaughter under K.S.A. 2011 Supp. 21-5404(a). State v. Hayes, 299 Kan.”
State v. Parker, 459 P.3d 793 (Kan. 2020). “" K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 21-5404(a). The core elements of voluntary manslaughter are an intentional killing and legally sufficient provocation.”
State v. Sinzogan, 388 P.3d 176 (Kan. Ct. App. 2017).
— K.S.A. § 21-5404(a)(1) — 15 cases
State v. Gooding, 335 P.3d 698 (Kan. Ct. App. 2014). “” The district court instructed the jury that in order to establish the charge of voluntary manslaughter, each of the following elements had to be proved: (1) Gooding knowingly killed Mills; (2) the killing was done upon a sudden quarrel; and (3) the act occurred on or about the…”
State v. Gulley, 505 P.3d 354 (Kan. 2022). “K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5404(a)(2). Heat of passion voluntary manslaughter has no such requirement.”
State v. Green, 469 P.3d 1228 (Kan. 2020).
State v. Stafford, 477 P.3d 1027 (Kan. 2020).
State v. Smith (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
— K.S.A. § 21-5404(a)(2) — 18 cases
State v. Fisher, 373 P.3d 781 (Kan. 2016). “" K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 21-5404(a)(2). Under K.”
State v. Nunez, 486 P.3d 606 (Kan. 2021). “K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5404(a)(2); Salary, 301 Kan.”
State v. Gulley, 505 P.3d 354 (Kan. 2022). “K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5404(a)(2). Heat of passion voluntary manslaughter has no such requirement.”
State v. Harris, 486 P.3d 576 (Kan. 2021).
State v. Zongker, 555 P.3d 698 (Kan. 2024).
— K.S.A. § 21-5404(a)(l) — 1 case
State v. Knighten, 347 P.3d 1200 (Kan. Ct. App. 2015).
— K.S.A. § 21-5404(b) — 1 case
State v. Casteel (Kan. Ct. App. 2025).
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