{"id":371969,"date":"2016-04-11T01:21:32","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T06:21:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/colorado-law\/colorado-first-degree-murder.html"},"modified":"2026-02-02T13:48:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:48:04","slug":"colorado-first-degree-murder","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/colorado-law\/colorado-first-degree-murder.html","title":{"rendered":"Colorado First-Degree Murder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Colorado First-Degree Murder<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

In Colorado<\/span>, first-degree murder<\/span> is the intentional killing of another person with both deliberation and premeditation<\/span>. This means the perpetrator planned the act after forming the intent to kill. It includes various serious offenses, such as causing the death of a child<\/span> under 12 or engaging in actions showing extreme indifference<\/span> to human life.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Homicide is the killing of a human being by another human being. States separate homicide into degrees according to the intent of the perpetrator. If the perpetrator intended to cause the death of another person<\/span> and planned how to do so, the state files charges of first-degree murder<\/span>.<\/p>\n

In Colorado<\/span>, first-degree murder<\/span> is an intentional killing with deliberation and premeditation<\/span>. Colorado<\/span> revised its capital offenses<\/span> statutes in 2021 and removed felony murder<\/span> from its first-<\/span>degree murder<\/span> charges<\/span>. Colorado<\/span> law<\/span> reserves first-degree murder<\/span> for the most serious types of intentional murder.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll focus on Colorado<\/span>\u2019s first-degree murder<\/span> statute. Killings with intent but without deliberation are second-degree murder<\/span>. Killings during other felonies were previously classified as felony murder<\/span>, which is now charged as second-degree murder<\/span>. In Colorado<\/span>, voluntary manslaughter involves causing the death of a person<\/span> in a sudden heat of passion<\/span> caused by a serious and highly provoking act of the intended victim.<\/p>\n

Colorado<\/span>‘s First-Degree Murder<\/span> Statute<\/h2>\n

The Colorado<\/span> Revised Statutes<\/span> (CRS<\/span>) require a prosecutor to prove the defendant acted with both deliberation and intent to achieve a conviction for first-degree murder<\/span>. Deliberation in this context means the defendant had enough time after forming the intent to plan the killing. Deliberation is sometimes referred to as a “cooling off” period.<\/p>\n

Other types of first-degree murder<\/span> include:<\/p>\n