FELO-DE-SE

felo-de-se (fee-loh orfel-oh dee see), n. See SUICIDE(2).

“ ‘Felo de se,’ or felon of himself is freely spoken of by the early writers as self-murder.

Hence one who killed himself before he arrived at the age of discretion or while he was non

compos mentis, was not a felo de se, or suicide…. [B]y the early common law suicide was a felony

and was punished by ignominious burial and forfeiture of goods and chattels to the king.” Rollin

1. Perkins & Ronald N. Boyce, Criminal Law 120 (3d ed. 1982).[Blacks Law 8th]