What constitutes attempted murder?

Attempted murder is defined as the intent to kill another person coupled with actions taken towards that end, even if the act was not successfully completed. This means that for an act to be classified as attempted murder, there must be a clear intention to kill, and the individual must have taken substantial steps towards executing that intention, even if those steps do not result in the death of the intended victim.

In this context, the notion of intent is crucial; it must be proven that the individual had a definitive purpose to kill. The actions taken do not need to result in death, but they must reflect a serious commitment to carry out the act of murder. This definition is foundational in criminal law and underlines the severity of the offense.

The other options do not satisfy the legal criteria for attempted murder. Planning to kill someone, while serious, does not constitute an attempt without the execution of some action toward that plan. Killing someone in self-defense involves no intent to kill unlawfully; rather, it is a legal justification for causing death to prevent harm. Assisting in a murder relates more to complicity or conspiracy than to the act of attempting murder itself, as it involves aiding another person in completing the crime rather than attempting it oneself.