Zone of death: The area in the United States where one can legally get away with murder

Yellowstone National Park covers an area of 2.2 million acres

The “Zone of Death” in the United States is a patch of land where a criminal could, theoretically, get away with murder. Confused? Read on to find out.

Located inside the Yellowstone National Park, the “Zone of Death” derives its name from a legal loophole where someone accused of a crime committed within this area might theoretically escape prosecution for any major crime, including murder. Why is that?

You see, the Yellowstone National Park is enormous, covering an area of approximately 2.2 million acres. It spans parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho in the United States. The 130 kilometre square area known as the zone of death falls within the Idaho section of the park. However, it falls under the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming.

Someone accused of a crime committed in this specific area could potentially argue that their trial should be held in the state of Idaho, where the crime occurred. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by a jury of peers from the state and district in which the crime was committed.

However, since this part of Yellowstone in Idaho has no permanent residents, it is not possible to form a jury. As the US Constitution guarantees the right to a jury trial, the accused could potentially exploit this loophole to walk away scot-free.

The loophole was discovered in 2005, when law professor Brian C Kalt was writing on the technicalities of the Sixth Amendment.