Under New York law, murder occurs when a person with intent to cause death of another causes the death of such a person or a third party.

• A. When a person dies during a robbery
• B. When a person kills a bystander by accident
• C. When a person causes death during a natural disaster
• D. When a person, with intent to cause death of another, causes the death of such a person or a third party

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that murder under this rule requires the person to have the specific intent to cause the death of another, and that death must be caused by the person’s act. Only when someone acts with the purpose of killing and that act results in the death of the intended person or of a third party does it meet this definition.

If the death occurs during a robbery, there might be other theories like felony murder, but not this definition that hinges on an explicit intent to kill. If death results from an accidental shot at a bystander, there is no intent to kill, so it does not satisfy the murder criterion. A death during a natural disaster likewise isn’t caused by the actor’s intent to kill. The scenario that fits is the one where the person acts with the intent to kill and causes the death, whether of the person intended to be killed or of someone else as a consequence of that act.