Updates
Amended by St. 2026, c. 137, § 89, effective July 9, 2026
Section 63
An indictment for murder may be found at any time after the death of the person alleged to have been murdered. An indictment or complaint for an offense set forth in section 13B, 13B1/2, 13B3/4, 13F, 13L, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 23, 23A, 23B, 24B or subsection (b) of section 50 of chapter 265, for conspiracy to commit any of these offenses, as an accessory thereto, or any 1 or more of them may be found and filed at any time after the date of the commission of such offense; but any indictment or complaint found and filed more than 27 years after the date of commission of such offense shall be supported by independent evidence that corroborates the victim's allegation. Such independent evidence shall be admissible during trial and shall not consist exclusively of the opinions of mental health professionals. An indictment for an offense set forth in sections 22, 24 or subsection (a) of section 50 of chapter 265, or for conspiracy to commit either of these offenses or as an accessory thereto or any 1 or more of them may be found and filed within 15 years of the date of commission of such offense. An indictment for an offense set forth in clause (iii) of subsection (b) of section 13A, sections 13M, 17, 18, 19 and 21 of said chapter 265 or section 17 of chapter 272, for conspiracy to commit any such crime, as an accessory thereto, or any 1 or more of them may be found and filed within 10 years after the date of commission of such offense. An indictment for any other crime shall be found and filed within 6 years after such crime has been committed. Any period during which the defendant is not usually and publicly a resident within the commonwealth shall be excluded in determining the time limited.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, an indictment or complaint for an offense set forth in sections 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 23, 23A or 23B of chapter 265 may be found and filed at any time after the date of the commission of such offense if the identity of the person who allegedly committed the offense: (i) was identified after the limitation period set forth in this section; and (ii) has been established through a DNA analysis, as defined in section 1 of chapter 22E, using evidence collected at the time of the commission of the offense.
Notwithstanding the first paragraph, if a victim of a crime set forth in section 13B, 13F, 13H, 13H1/2, 13H3/4, 22, 22A, 23, 24B, 26A or 50 of chapter 265, or section 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 4B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 26, 28, 29A, 29B, 33, 34, 35 or 35A of chapter 272 is under the age of 16 at the time the crime is committed, the period of limitation for prosecution shall not commence until the victim has reached the age of 16 or the violation is reported to a law enforcement agency, whichever occurs earlier.
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| Last updated: | July 9, 2026 |
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