People v. Collie
Supreme Court of California
634 P.2d 534 (1981)
Relevant factsFree
After forcibly sodomizing his estranged wife, Collie (defendant) left a lit candle surrounded by combustible material and gas burners turned on (unlit) in the home, where their young daughter was sleeping; he was convicted of attempted first-degree murder of his wife and attempted second-degree murder of his daughter, but the jury was instructed it could convict on the daughter's count without finding Collie specifically intended to kill her. Collie appealed.
IssueFree
Whether, in California, specific intent to kill is a necessary element of attempted murder.