![]() | This article's lead section contains information that is not included elsewhere in the article.(February 2024) |
In the law of the U.S. state of Mississippi, murder constitutes the intentional killing, under circumstances defined by law. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the year 2020, the state had the highest murder rate in the country, just ahead of Louisiana. [1]
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". [2]
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: [2] [3]
Offense | Mandatory sentencing |
---|---|
Manslaughter | Up to 20 years in prison |
Child homicide | Up to 30 years in prison |
Second-degree murder | 20 to 40 years in prison, or life-with-parole |
First-degree murder | Life-with-parole |
Capital murder |
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