Murder in Nevada constitutes the unlawful killing, under circumstances defined by law, of people within or under the jurisdiction of the U.S. state of Nevada.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the year 2021, the state had a murder rate somewhat above the median for the entire country.
Definitions
First-degree murder
First-degree murder is the most serious homicide offense in Nevada. It is defined as a murder committed under one of the following circumstances:
Committed with premeditation or lying in wait
Committed with torture of the victim
Committed by means of poison
Committed in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a felony of a felony under Nevada's felony murder rule Committed to avoid or prevent an arrest, or to escape custody Committed on the property of a school, at an activity sponsored by a school, or on a school bus Committed in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of an act of terrorism
The penalties for first-degree murder are the death penalty, life in prison without the possibility of parole, life-with-parole after 20 years, or 50 years in prison with parole after 20 years.
Felony murder rule
Under Nevada's felony murder rule, a death caused by the perpetration or attempted perpetration of one of the following felonies, regardless of intent to kill, is punished as first-degree murder:
Sexual assault
Rape
Kidnapping
Arson
Robbery
Burglary
Invasion of the home
Sexual abuse of a child
Sexual molestation of a child under the age of 14 years
Child abuse
Abuse of an older person or vulnerable person
Second-degree murder
Second-degree murder is the second most serious homicide offense in Nevada. It is defined as an intentional killing without premeditation, a killing where the perpetrator behaved so recklessly that death was a foreseeable result, or an unintentional death caused by the perpetrator supplying the victim illegal drugs. The penalties for second-degree murder are life-with-parole after 10 years, or 25 years in prison with parole after 10 years.
Penalties
The penalties for homicide offenses in Nevada are listed below.