'Good Samaritan' killer also sexually assaulted victims wife

[Ironbear]

As far as the government sanctioning murder, they (we) already do in numerous scenarios. A person may legally murder another person in self defense. War is another example. Police officers may murder a criminal who is recklessly endangering the public. There are multiple examples where state sanctioned murder is authorized while a person is engaged in an activity that's an imminent threat to the safety of others.

To pick semantic nits... I don't think I would I would term these "murder". I would describe it as "committing homicide". The follow-up investigation and courts, decide whether or not it is indeed "murder" based on whether it was legal or not.

Specifically, I would consider "legally murder" an oxymoron.

[jshuberg]

Fair enough, but there are people who believe that any taking of another persons life under any circumstance is wrong, and therefore murder. For those holding this belief there's no benefit to parsing the legal meaning of the words used, it's more about the underlying reasoning and philosophy as to when the taking of another persons life is justified.

[xd ED]

Fair point about my use of the term 'murder'. I should have worded it differently, as it is a pet peeve of mine when the media, a politician, or activist uses the term to describe a homicide. The Zimmermann/ Travon case for example.

I appreciate the reasoned discussion.