Murder

Murder is the act of unlawful killing a human with malice aforethought.

It is the malicious state of mind that distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide such as manslaughter. As the loss of a human being inflicts enormous grief upon the individuals close to the victim, and the commission of a murder is highly detrimental to the good order within society, most societies both present and in antiquity have considered it a most serious crime worthy of the harshest of punishment. In most countries, a person convicted of murder is typically given a long prison sentence, possibly a life sentence where permitted, and in some countries, the death penalty may be imposed for such an act – though this practice is becoming less common. In most countries, there is no statute of limitations for murder.

In the United States, murders fall into three broad categories: first, second, and third degree.