Depraved-heart murder, also known as depraved-indifference murder, is an American legal term for an action that demonstrates a "callous disregard for human life" and results in death. In most states, depraved heart killings constitute second-degree murder.
If no death results, such acts would generally be defined as reckless endangerment and possibly other crimes, such as assault.
Read more about Depraved-heart Murder: Common Law Background, Under The Model Penal Code
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“My chance, when it came, was due, literally, to the fact that I was slender.... You cannot make an opera audience believe that a man will endanger his soul, and commit robbery and murder for a very stout lady’s sake.”
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