murder
Sign in to savethumb|Cain and Abel|Cain slaying Abel, by [[Peter Paul Rubens, ]]
AI overview
Murder is the unlawful killing of one person by another, typically distinguished from other forms of killing by the intent and circumstances involved. It matters because laws against murder are fundamental to society, protecting human life and establishing accountability for the most serious crimes.
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Article
34 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Definition
- Degrees <span class="anchor" id="Degrees of murder"></span><span class="anchor" id="Murder in the second degree"></span>
- Common law
- Exclusions
- General
- Specific to certain countries
- Victim
- Mitigating circumstances
- Insanity
- Postpartum depression
- Unintentional
- Diminished capacity
- Aggravating circumstances
- Felony murder rule
- Year-and-a-day rule
- Contributing factors
- Historical attitudes
- Slavery
- Honor killings in Corsica
- Abortion
- Incidence
- Historical variation
- Rates by country<span class="anchor" id="Murder rates by country"></span>
- United States
- Investigation and clearance rates
- See also
- Related lists<span class="anchor" id="Lists related to murder"></span>
- Related topics
- Laws by country<span class="anchor" id="Murder laws by country"></span>
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|Cain and Abel|Cain slaying Abel, by [[Peter Paul Rubens, ]]
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse and committed with the necessary intent as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. This state of mind may, depending upon the jurisdiction, distinguish murder from other forms of unlawful homicide, such as manslaughter. Manslaughter is killing committed in the absence of malice, such as in the case of voluntary manslaughter brought about by reasonable provocation, or diminished capacity. Involuntary manslaughter, where it is recognized, is a killing that lacks all but the most attenuated guilty intent, recklessness.