Lewis Ex Rel. Estate of Lewis v. Lewis

Sanders, Chief Judge.

This is an appeal from a declaratory judgment of the circuit court ruling that respondent Debbie D. Lewis, as contingent beneficiary under a life insurance policy, is entitled to the benefits of the policy to the exclusion of appellants, Latoya Lewis and Robert Lewis, Jr., who are heirs of the deceased. We affirm.

Code section 21-1-50 of the 1976 Code of Laws of South Carolina prohibits a person convicted of willfully killing another person from receiving any benefit from the death of the person unlawfully killed. The Code section goes on to provide, “The interest which…