The Fatal Spin
Commonwealth v. Atencio (1963)
Charge: Involuntary Manslaughter Jurisdiction: Massachusetts Heard on GUILTY or NOT?: 30 September 2026
Whether men who took turns at Russian roulette answer for the death of the one on whose turn the gun fired.
The facts
The Defendant, a companion, and the deceased spent the day drinking and then began a game of Russian roulette with a single revolver. Each man in turn took the revolver, placed it against his own head, and pulled the trigger. When the gun reached the deceased, it discharged and killed him. The Prosecution charged the surviving participants with manslaughter for their part in the deadly game; the Defense argued the deceased pulled the trigger on himself.
You have the facts the court had. Did the prosecution prove it? Render your verdict in the game, then see what the court actually decided — and why.
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Citation: Commonwealth v. Atencio, 345 Mass. 627, 189 N.E.2d 223 (1963)
Read the full decision at law.justia.com. The source reveals the outcome.