# Charged with murder 30 years later

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charged-with-murder-30-years-later/714101>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 3, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charged-with-murder-30-years-later/714101 "2015-03-03T17:05:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charged-with-murder-30-years-later/714101/21 "2015-03-06T02:46:55Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Let’s say Person A shoots Person B in the hand, in a way that is clearly nonlethal. Under normal conditions, no one would die from such a hand wound. But Person B then purposefully, deliberately contaminates his hand gunshot wound with a particular type of bacteria in order to cause infection, sepsis and eventual death. Is Person A now guilty of homicide?

(Warning: IANAL) Causation is part of murder. If the victim himself induced sepsis, Person A could argue that the shooting did not cause death, ergo Person A did not commit a homicide.

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**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charged-with-murder-30-years-later/714101/22 "2015-03-06T04:49:49Z")

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> [@straight\_man](#):
>
> (Warning: IANAL) Causation is part of murder. If the victim himself induced sepsis, Person A could argue that the shooting did not cause death, ergo Person A did not commit a homicide.

Sounds like an argument for his lawyer to make to the jury at trial, not a reason for the prosecution to not charge him in the first place. (IANAL either)

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charged-with-murder-30-years-later/714101/23 "2015-03-06T16:06:07Z")

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> [@Sahirrnee](#):
>
> I understand that point but even with the lesser charge the victim still had to take care of his wounds.  
> I feel though that the victim refused to follow doctors orders should be taken into account.

I follow your logic to some degree & I am likely biased since I am dealing with an elderly parent with bedsores , which are very hard to prevent, even when following drs orders.

But on second thought, I would agree that the victim’s refusal to follow drs orders (if that is indeed what happened) should be considered as a mitigating factor, but a homicide charge is still appropriate imo.

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