Abstract: The modern reader of Qing homicide reports cannot help but be impressed with the diligence and the competence that magistrates displayed when investigating and  adjudicating capital crimes.Each homicide report challenged a magistrate to balance bureaucratic efficiency against humanistic values.This paper examines four case records of individuals  who committed homicides while rescuing their parents from violent attacks.An examination of  these crime reports reveals how county magistrates skillfully combined the presentation of explicit and implicit information designed to address the both legal requirements and moral values of Qing law.The paper argues that the Qing system for adjudicating capital crimes was well-designed to accommodate the seemingly contradictory demands of bureaucratic efficiency and  Confucian benevolence.