What term refers to the facts that show that a crime has occurred, commonly described as the body of the crime?

• A. Inchoate offense
• B. Concurrence
• C. McNaughten rule
• D. Corpus delicti

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is corpus delicti—the body of the crime. It means the actual facts that prove a crime occurred, not just what someone intended or planned. Corpus delicti is about concrete evidence that the offense happened, such as a victim and injury in a murder case, or property taken or damaged in a theft case. It also serves to prevent conviction based solely on a confession of intent or an unsuccessful plan without proof that the crime occurred.

Inchoate offenses describe attempts or preparations to commit a crime, which focus on intent and purpose rather than the completed act. The McNaughten rule relates to insanity and inability to know right from wrong at the time of the act. Concurrence concerns the need for a specific link between mens rea and the act. Because the question asks for the term describing the facts that show a crime has occurred, corpus delicti is the best fit.