940.01 – First-Degree Intentional Homicide
940.01 – First-Degree Intentional Homicide
Statute Title: First-Degree Intentional Homicide
Legal Definition: "Whoever causes the death of another human being with intent to kill that person or another."
Layman’s Terms: This charge applies when someone kills another person on purpose. It means they had time to think about it and acted deliberately—not in the heat of the moment. Planning, premeditation, or acting with intent in a cold and calculated way turns a killing into first-degree homicide.
Examples:
The Ambush: After weeks of planning, someone drives across town, waits outside a person’s home, and shoots them with a concealed weapon in revenge for a prior dispute.
The Poison Plot: A spouse, after researching poisons online and preparing a deadly dose, secretly adds it to their partner’s food to collect life insurance money.
The Contract Killer: A man hires a hitman to murder a business rival, providing payment and detailed information on their routines and location. The hitman follows through and kills the victim as arranged.
The Street Retaliation: A gang member targets a rival by staking out their known hangouts. Upon seeing them at a gas station, they approach and shoot the rival at close range.
The Inheritance Scheme: A person, motivated by greed, intentionally kills a wealthy family member by tampering with their brakes to make it appear like an accident, aiming to receive an inheritance.
Penalty:**
Class A Felony – Life imprisonment (no parole unless eligible under sentencing)
