Confession to a crime while dying!!

[Dom Tuk]

Has anyone confessed to a hienous crime on their death bed (dying words) so that 1) some sort of remorse could be shown or 2) an innocent person convicted of the crime could be released/absolved.

[landie]

It's called a 'Dying declaration' and carries legal weight if independently witnessed. Several people have made such declarations including one man who claimed to be Jack the Ripper as the trapdoor on the gallows fell open beneath him.

[luckystrike]

In the history of the troubles in Northern Ireland, there have been several 'confessions' made by those on their death bed which have been disproven after they have died.

They were made with the intention of 'closing the case' on certain crimes which were actually committed by a family member or friend, or more likely, a fellow terrorist.

[corganiser]

I did