This lesson you will be studying homicide, which is defined as the killing of a human being by another human being. The two primary categories of homicide crimes are murder and manslaughter. As you will learn, there are different types of murder and manslaughter. This is a very complex area of the law. It is also one of the most tested areas of the law. Study it carefully. Murder and manslaughter both involve the unlawful killing of another human being. Why do you think the courts created two separate crimes?