Whats the difference between killing and murder?

Question

I dont really see the differencess here
If i murder u, i take ur life
If i kill u, i take ur life
So whats the difference?

Answer 1

Murder is a type of killing.

Answer 2

It's all about intent. Murder is intentional killing. But killing can also be by accident. Which is why there is also the charge of manslaughter - that covers unintentional killing. You didn't mean to, but killing is still so bad that manslaughter is still a crime. Though probably there will be a much lighter sentence for it.

Consider the definition of murder in English common law, which is "unlawful killing with malice aforethought". Malice aforethought - that means you had the intention to kill, or at least to do some very serious damage to the person. And "unlawful" is extremely important. If that wasn't there, it would be impossible to have the death penalty, because all executioners would be murderers. Execution is lawful killing, so it's not legally murder.

US states generally even have different degrees of murder based on how bad the intent was. Did you have a gun? That would bump up the degree - how can you have a gun if you weren't prepared to at least hurt someone very badly?

What if someone is in a coma on a life-support machine? Turning the machine off would kill him, but is that murder? Without the machine he would have died anyway. This is a very vexed legal question and it's still being argued to lay down exactly what the law ought to be about this. He might still recover, but how can you be sure when even the doctors can't tell?

Answer 3

All murder is killing, but not all killing is murder.

Some killing is necessary for survival. Some killing is accedental. Only when it's neither of these is it murder.

Answer 4

Legally a lot has to do with intent.
If I lie in wait for you to come by so that I can kill you, that is First Degree Murder.
If I am driving down the road, late at night, and you jump in front of my car, dressed in black and I hit and kill you, that is NOT First-degree Murder.

Answer 5

Murder is intentionally killing without legal justification.
Manslaughter is the normal term for illegally killing without intent to kill.
Self defense can involve killing and be both legally and morally justified.

Note: It doesn't make a difference to the person that dies, but is make A LOT of difference to everyone else.

Answer 6

Defensive killing isn't murder. Murder is killing when it's aggression. The US uses the rationalization that their military is in another country just for defense and to protect, but it's just an excuse to invade and tear the country down.

Answer 7

Murder is killing somebody on purpose, but for no good reason.
Self-defense is a good reason. Getting the person's money is not. If you kill somebody in order to keep him from killing you, that is not murder. If you kill somebody in order to get his money, it is murder.
If you kill somebody by accident, it is not murder.
If you kill somebody through extreme carelessness - such as driving drunk or speeding on a crowded street, it may be murder too, because you showed no concern for the value of a human life.

Answer 8

If you dont see a stop sign, and you hit someone and they die, that is a killing but not a murder. Murder is an intentional act

Answer 9

Killing means to end someone else's life. That includes murder, but can also include mercy killing (euthanasia), self defense (ie. protecting oneself or someone else from someone who is intending to harm or kill), or completely accidental killing (ie. traffic accidents, negligent homicide, etc.).

Murder is a killing that is done very intentionally for the purpose of revenge, retribution, causing harm and death to someone, causing great distress and loss to someone else by killing someone they care about, and so on.

Answer 10

Manslaughter is killing as well, but it is not murder.