Which homicide occurs when death results from injuries received during the commission of another felony?

• A. First-degree Murder
• B. Capital Murder
• C. Felony Murder
• D. Felonious Assault

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the felony murder rule: when a death happens during the commission of a felony, the person (and sometimes accomplices) can be charged with murder even if there was no intent to kill. The danger and unlawful act of the felony make the death a foreseeable result, and the offenders are held responsible for that death as a form of murder. This differs from first-degree or capital murder, which rely on premeditation or aggravating factors, and from felonious assault, which describes a violent act and injuries rather than a homicide. So when death occurs as a result of injuries during a felony, the appropriate charge is felony murder.