In the law of the U.S. state of

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, murder constitutes the intentional killing, under circumstances defined by law. The United States

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...

reported that in the year 2020, the state had the highest murder rate in the country, just ahead of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

Classifications

Murder in Mississippi encompasses the premeditated killing of a person or an unborn child, as well as killing "in the commission of an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved heart, regardless of human life". A murder is elevated to the level of capital murder based on certain circumstances of the perpetrator, victim, location, or means by which it is committed, including: #It was committed by a person under sentence of imprisonment. #The defendant was previously convicted of another capital offense or of a felony involving the use or threat of violence to the person. #The defendant knowingly created a great risk of death to many persons. #It was committed while the defendant was engaged, or was an accomplice, in the commission of, or an attempt to commit, or flight after committing or attempting to commit, any robbery,

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...

, arson, burglary, kidnapping, aircraft piracy, sexual battery, unnatural intercourse with any child under the age of 12, or nonconsensual unnatural intercourse with mankind, or felonious abuse or battery of a child, or the unlawful use or detonation of a

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

or explosive device. #It was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest or effecting an escape from custody. #It was committed for pecuniary gain. #It was committed to disrupt or hinder the lawful exercise of any governmental function or the enforcement of laws. #It was committed to influence the policy of a governmental entity by intimidation or coercion, or to affect the conduct of a governmental entity by mass destruction or assassination. #It was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel. #It was committed to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.

Penalties

References

Crime in Mississippi Mississippi law {{criminal-law-stub

Classifications

Penalties

See also

References