A rare glimpse into the most dangerous place on earth where one can murder and get away with it
The Purge The Reality Version: An uninhabited area in Yellowstone National Park was nicknamed the "Death Zone" because a loophole in the US justice system technically allows it to escape punishment for murder
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11/08/2022
Thursday, August 11, 2022, 11:47 p.m
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The place in the US where murder is legal (@davidjustinn)
Unlike the "The Purge" series of movies where there is one night a year where you can commit any type of crime with impunity, in an uninhabited area of Yellowstone National Park you can commit any type of crime with impunity all year round.
If we go to extremes - you can even commit a murder in this area and escape punishment.
A popular YouTuber did the brave thing and entered the most dangerous area on earth to bring you a glimpse of what goes on there.
the truth?
Not much is done there - because the area known as the "Death Zone" and spread over an area of 130 square kilometers is not inhabited at all. In 2005, a law professor from Michigan, Brian C. Kalt, discovered a loophole in the US Constitution that does not allow prosecution of a crime committed in this small part of the park, so technically you can get away with murder.
Kalt's article, "The Perfect Crime," published in 2005, explains that the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that federal crimes must be prosecuted within the state and county where the crime was committed.
However, in the case of Yellowstone, the federal district of Wyoming has full jurisdiction over the entire park.
So, if you committed a crime in the "death zone", you could only prosecute that person using the population of people living in those 130 square kilometers - and the number of people living there is zero.
The brave YouTuber Tom Scott reached the "death zone" in Yellowstone National Park (photo: screenshot, Tom Scott/YouTube)
"Death Zone" in Yellowstone National Park (Photo: screenshot, Tom Scott/YouTube)
YouTuber Tom Scott made it to this secluded spot in the national park despite the very real risk of bumping into Jason Voorhees' style character.
In his video, he explains more about the loophole in the law: "If you commit a crime in the US, you can be prosecuted by the state or by the federal government.
However, Yellowstone National Park is special because within its borders only the federal government can prosecute.
In federal law, America is divided into 19 states, these states do not cross state lines.
Congress granted all of Yellowstone to Wyoming despite the fact that part of the park is in Idaho.
So right now in this 130 square mile area, I'm standing in the state of Idaho but in the federal district of Wyoming. If you're charged with a crime, the sixth amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that you have the right to a trial by state and county jury. So, for crimes committed in the overlap area This weird little jury has to be chosen only from the people who live in the state of Idaho and the county of Wyoming and the population here is zero. If there's no jury,
He went on to stress that just because he could technically get away with it, he had no intention of committing a crime there as he was "not an idiot".
Surprisingly, no one else is interested either.
As of this writing, no known crimes have been committed in the Death Zone since it was discovered by law professor Brian C. Cult.
Watch Tom Scott's journey to the "Death Zone":
The full explanation of the loophole in the law:
Since Cult discovered the loophole in the law, he has tried to convince Congress to fix it by creating a legal framework that makes the Idaho parts of Yellowstone count within the Idaho District or Wyoming residents living in the federal district be able to prosecute there.
Cult, however, was told it was not a top priority for Congress, according to Vox.
In 2007, the courts had an opportunity to address this issue, but they left the loophole as it is.
A similar area is located in Montana, but the difference is that there are few people living in the area, making it difficult but not impossible to hold a trial with a jury that is mostly your neighbors.
A man named Michael Baldrain illegally killed a moose within the park's jurisdiction and used Cult's article as his line of defense.
Prosecutors decided to offer a plea deal that gave Baldrain a lighter sentence, on the condition that he could not appeal.
The hypothetical situation of getting away with murder seems quite improbable because even if the thought occurred to you that you could get away with the perfect crime, it is likely that you will be charged with counts that you can be prosecuted for in other areas - such as conspiracy or charges related to possession of weapons.
In short, we would not recommend you to try.
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