Attempted Murder

Attempted murder is the offense of taking a substantial step toward killing another person with the intent required for murder, while the killing itself is not completed, whether because the victim survives, the offender is interrupted, or the attempt otherwise fails. Because it requires proof of the same culpable intent as a completed murder without the resulting death, prosecutions turn heavily on evidence of the offender's state of mind at the time of the act, such as the weapon used, the manner of the attack, and any statements made before or during it, rather than on the outcome. Most legal systems punish attempted murder severely, though typically somewhat less than a completed murder, reflecting the view that the offender's culpability lies chiefly in the intent and the act taken toward it rather than in the harm that happened not to occur. The offense sits within a broader doctrine of criminal attempt that applies similarly to other serious crimes, but attempted murder is prosecuted and studied as its own named category because of how frequently a violent assault falls just short of a fatal outcome.