565.020. First degree murder, penalty — person under eighteen years of age, penalty.
This law makes it a crime to kill someone on purpose after thinking about it.
If someone plans and then kills another person, it’s considered first-degree murder. The punishment depends on how old the offender was when the crime happened.
1. A person commits first-degree murder if they knowingly kill another person after thinking about it beforehand.
2. First-degree murder is a class A felony. If the person is 18 or older at the time of the crime, they can be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole, unless the governor grants release. If the person is under 18, the punishment follows the rules in section 565.033.
Contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP to talk with a Missouri criminal defense lawyer.
