Legal Definitions - willful homicide

Willful Homicide

Willful homicide refers to the unlawful killing of another human being with the specific intent to cause their death. This means the perpetrator made a deliberate and conscious decision to take a life, distinguishing it from accidental killings or killings committed without such a direct purpose to kill. It implies a conscious choice and a desire to bring about the victim's demise.

• Example 1: Premeditated Act

  A disgruntled employee, after weeks of planning, waits for their former boss outside their home and shoots them, having specifically intended to kill them for perceived wrongs. This act demonstrates willful homicide because the employee deliberately planned and executed the killing with the express purpose of causing the boss's death.

• Example 2: Intent in the Moment

  During a heated argument, one person retrieves a heavy object and, in a fit of rage but with a clear decision to end the conflict permanently, strikes the other person repeatedly in the head, causing their death. Even if the argument was spontaneous, the act of choosing to use a lethal weapon with the specific aim of killing the other person illustrates willful homicide.

• Example 3: Indirect but Deliberate Action

  An individual hires a professional assassin to murder a rival business owner. Although the individual did not physically commit the act, their deliberate decision to arrange and pay for the killing, with the specific goal of causing the rival's death, constitutes willful homicide on their part.