I am working slowly towards the realisation that murder is I think a common law matter in each state of the USA and the local courts will therefore have defined by the use of precedent the mental state (mens rea) necessary to distinguish one type of killing from another - subject to local statute.

Have we a lawyer from that state amongst us or even a law graduate from that state? Or is there someone here who might inspire someone from the law department of a university in that state to comment?