Short answers, pulled from the story.
The word murder derives from the Proto-Indo-European root m- meaning to die. In early Germanic societies, the word murþrą meant death or killing but also implied a secret or unlawful act. This distinction separated murder from open warfare or judicial execution.
Malice in murder refers to a specific state of mind known as malice aforethought rather than emotional hatred. Courts recognize four mental states including intent to kill, intent to cause grievous bodily harm, an abandoned and malignant heart, and the felony-murder rule.
First-degree murder requires specific intent to kill, premeditation, or deliberation and can carry the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole. Second-degree murder is common law murder without specific aggravating factors and typically results in a long-term prison sentence.
The Supreme Court of California interpreted California's murder statute penal code section 187 in 1994 to mean a fetus is capable of being killed. This ruling allowed defendants to be convicted of murder for killing a fetus even if the mother could have terminated the pregnancy without committing a crime.
The World Health Organization reported in October 2002 that a person is murdered every 60 seconds with an estimated 520,000 people murdered in 2000 around the globe. Two-fifths of these victims were young people between the ages of 10 and 29 killed by other young people.
The fraction of murders solved in the United States decreased from 90% in 1960 to 61% in 2007. The clearance rate in major U.S. cities varied in 2007 from 36% in Boston, Massachusetts, to 76% in San Jose, California.