Mandan Man Charged With Murder-Intentional. What’s That?

A Bismarck parking lot shooting adds intrigue.

Let's turn to Cornell Law School.

First degree murder is the intentional killing of another person by someone who has acted willfully, deliberately, or with planning. Generally, there are two types of first-degree murder: premeditated intent to kill and felony murder. This definition will focus on first-degree murder involving premeditated intent to kill.

So only the terminology has changed. We understand it as first-degree murder.

KX News reports that on October 4th, 39-year-old Christopher Sebastian was found dead in his vehicle in the neighborhood of the 200 block of East Arbor Avenue in Bismarck.  During the investigation, officers found Benjamin Williams, described as a person of interest, allegedly under the influence of drugs which would be in violation of his parole.

Which would be the least of Benjamin's worries.

Williams is currently charged with Murder-Intentional, knowing, or with extreme indifference and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Seemingly the charges reflect an intent to kill and what is described as willful deliberation. Meaning pre-thought is alleged to have been part of the act of killing.

Acts of passion give defendants wiggle room- premeditation is a more difficult defense

Kudos to law enforcement for gathering leads, witness accounts, and perhaps physical evidence that led them to quickly take a suspect into custody. Law enforcement is rapidly becoming a more and more dangerous and difficult job.  These days officers never know what sort of danger they'll find behind the next door.

Say, like Williston police investigating a potential narcotic lab only to discover one thousand pounds of explosives!  The suspect, in that case, is being charged with "release of destructive forces" but that's another story.

One you could read by clicking here.