Murder

Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. This state of mind may, depending upon the jurisdiction, distinguish murder from other forms of unlawful homicide, such as manslaughter.

Legal Definitions

Murder is considered the most serious form of homicide, in which one person kills another with the intention to cause either death or serious injury unlawfully. The actus reus of murder consists of the unlawful killing of a human being, while the mens rea is malice aforethought.

Degrees of Murder

In many jurisdictions, murder is divided into two or more degrees. In most jurisdictions in the United States, for example, murder in the first degree is an unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated.

Manslaughter

Manslaughter is a form of homicide where the person who commits the homicide either does not intend to kill the victim, or kills the victim as a result of circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed.

See Also

• Homicide
• Manslaughter
• Capital punishment
• War crime
• Genocide

References

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