Which phrase describes the essential proof that a crime occurred?

• A. The body of the crime
• B. The evidence of the crime
• C. The confession of the defendant
• D. Corpus delicti

Answer: (D)

Corpus delicti is the essential proof that a crime actually occurred. It means there must be independent evidence showing that a crime happened and that someone committed it, not just the defendant’s statement. This safeguards against convictions based solely on confessions, which could be false or coerced. In practice, proving the corpus delicti means demonstrating the fact of the crime and the criminal act—such as evidence of death caused by criminal means in a homicide, or proof that property was taken through unlawful means in theft, etc.—separate from any admission by the defendant.

The others aren’t the right fit because they’re either misnomers or too vague. “The body of the crime” is a colloquial turn of phrase that doesn’t capture the formal idea. “The evidence of the crime” is too broad and doesn’t necessarily establish that the crime occurred. And “the confession of the defendant” cannot alone prove that a crime occurred and is therefore insufficient to establish corpus delicti.