NOTE: This is an unofficial posting of the Kentucky Revised Statutes.  No guarantee they are current.  

Kentucky Revised Statute:  507.010 DEFINITIONS

A person is guilty of criminal homicide when he causes the death of another human being under circumstances which constitute murder, manslaughter in the first degree, manslaughter in the second degree, or reckless homicide. 

Kentucky Revised Statute:  507.020 MURDER

(1) A person is guilty of murder when:

  (a) With intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person; except that in any prosecution a person shall not be guilty under this subsection if he acted under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse, the reasonableness of which is to be determined from the viewpoint of a person in the defendant's situation under the circumstances as the defendant believed them to be. However, nothing contained in this section shall constitute a defense to a prosecution for or preclude a conviction of manslaughter in the first degree or any other crime; or

  (b) Including, but not limited to, the operation of a motor vehicle under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another person and thereby causes the death of another person.

(2) Murder is a capital offense.

Kentucky Revised Statute:  507.030 MANSLAUGHTER IN THE FIRST DEGREE 

(1) A person is guilty of manslaughter in the first degree when:

  (a) With intent to cause serious physical injury to another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person; or

  (b) With intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person under circumstances which do not constitute murder because he acts under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance, as defined in subsection (1)(a) of KRS 507.020.

 (2) Manslaughter in the first degree is a Class B felony. 

Kentucky Revised Statute:  507.040 MANSLAUGHTER IN THE SECOND DEGREE 

(1) A person is guilty of manslaughter in the second degree when he wantonly causes the death of another person, including, but not limited to, situations where the death results from the person's:

  (a) Operation of a motor vehicle; or

  (b) Leaving a child under the age of eight (8) years in a motor vehicle under circumstances which manifest an extreme indifference to human life and which create a grave risk of death to the child, thereby causing the death of the child.

(2) Manslaughter in the second degree is a Class C felony.

Kentucky Revised Statute:  507.050 RECKLESS HOMICIDE 

(1) A person is guilty of reckless homicide when, with recklessness he causes the death of another person.

(2) Reckless homicide is a Class D felony.