(1) A person commits the crime of murder in the first degree if:
After deliberation and with the intent to cause the death of a person other than himself, he causes the death of that person or of another person; or
Acting either alone or with one or more persons, he or she commits or attempts tocommit arson, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, sexual assault as prohibited by section 18-3-402, sexual assault in the first or second degree as prohibited by section 18-3-402 or 18-3-403 as those sections existed prior to July 1, 2000, or a class 3 felony for sexual assault on a child as provided in section 18-3-405 (2), or the crime of escape as provided in section 18-8-208, and, in the course of or in furtherance of the crime that he or she is committing or attempting to commit, or of immediate flight therefrom, the death of a person, other than one of the participants, is caused by anyone; or
By perjury or subornation of perjury he procures the conviction and execution of anyinnocent person; or
Under circumstances evidencing an attitude of universal malice manifesting extremeindifference to the value of human life generally, he knowingly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to a person, or persons, other than himself, and thereby causes the death of another; or
He or she commits unlawful distribution, dispensation, or sale of a controlled substance to a person under the age of eighteen years on school grounds as provided in section 18-18-407 (2), or 18-18-407 (1)(g)(I) for offenses committed on or after October 1, 2013, and the death of such person is caused by the use of such controlled substance; or
The person knowingly causes the death of a child who has not yet attained twelveyears of age and the person committing the offense is one in a position of trust with respect to the victim.
(2) It is an affirmative defense to a charge of violating subsection (1)(b) of this section that the defendant:
Was not the only participant in the underlying crime; and
Did not commit the homicidal act or in any way solicit, request, command, importune, cause, or aid the commission thereof; and
Was not armed with a deadly weapon; and
Had no reasonable ground to believe that any other participant was armed with sucha weapon, instrument, article, or substance; and
Did not engage himself in or intend to engage in and had no reasonable ground tobelieve that any other participant intended to engage in conduct likely to result in death or serious bodily injury; and
Endeavored to disengage himself from the commission of the underlying crime orflight therefrom immediately upon having reasonable grounds to believe that another participant is armed with a deadly weapon, instrument, article, or substance, or intended to engage in conduct likely to result in death or serious bodily injury.
Murder in the first degree is a class 1 felony.
The statutory privilege between patient and physician and between husband and wifeshall not be available for excluding or refusing testimony in any prosecution for the crime of murder in the first degree as described in paragraph (f) of subsection (1) of this section.
Source: L. 71: R&RE, p. 418, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 40-3-102. L. 74: (1)(a) amended, p. 251, § 2, effective January 1, 1975. L. 75: (1)(b) amended, p. 632, § 5, effective July 1; (1)(b) amended, p. 617, § 5, effective July 21. L. 77: (1)(d) amended, p. 960, § 5, effective July 1. L. 81: (1)(d) amended, p. 973, § 4, effective July 1. L. 88: (1)(b) amended, p. 712, § 16, effective July 1. L. 90: (1)(e) added, p. 1006, § 2, effective July 1. L. 92: (1)(e) amended, p. 392, § 20, effective July 1. L. 95: (1)(f) and (4) added, pp. 1221, 1222, §§ 2, 3, effective July 1. L. 97: (1)(e) amended, p. 1543, § 11, effective July 1. L. 2000: (1)(b) amended, p. 703, § 28, effective July 1. L. 2019: (1)(e) amended, (SB 19-241), ch. 390, p. 3465, § 12, effective August 2.
Cross references: For affirmative defenses generally, see §§ 18-1-407, 18-1-710, and 18-1-805; for the statutory privilege between patient and physician and between husband and wife, see § 13-90-107.