Prosecutor: Would-be robber charged with accomplice's death

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

KSDK -- St. Clair County State's Attorney Robert Haida has charged a suspected robber for the murder of his fellow accomplice, who was shot and killed by a store clerk during an attempted robbery in East St. Louis.

Michael Hunter is charged with first-degree murder for Larando King's death, even though Hunter did not fire a shot during the attempted robbery. Under Illinois law, a person can be charged with murder if anyone, including an accomplice, is killed in the commission of a felony.

King was killed Thursday morning while he, Hunter and other suspects attempted to break into the BFM Market in the 1000 block of Bond Avenue around 3 a.m. A clerk was in the business at the time and shot King in the chest as King pried open the front door.

Hunter took King to an East St. Louis hospital where he eventually died.

Haida said the clerk will not face charges since the shooting was in self-defense.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=190187

[ManiacJoe]

1. While I am a big fan of the felony-murder laws,

this always seems like a wrong application. King did not die because Hunter committed a robbery. King died because King committed a robbery.

[GreenStormCloud]

2. Hunter was helping King, and shared his disregard for other's lives. N/T

[ManiacJoe]

3. Correct. But "others" did not die.

Had a victim or by-stander died, then, yes, the victim/by-stander died because Hunter and King were committing a robbery. This is not the case here since King died during King's commission of the felony. In this case King is solely responsible for King's death.