rder resulting from an act so reckless and careless of the safety of others, it demonstrates the perpetrator’s complete lack of regard for human life. — aka depraved indifference murder; unintentional murder; extreme indifference murder; depraved-mind murder.
third degree murder – a wrong that does not constitute first or second degree murder; few states have third degree murder within their legal codes. — aka murder of the third degree; murder three.
murder clause – A contract provision that imposes onerous —often unreasonable — obligations on one party. * Murder clauses are usually found in construction contracts.
murderous malice – See MALICE.
murdrum – [Law Latin] (13c) Hist. 1. The secret killing of someone. 2. A line against the tithing where the secret and unsolved homicide took place. 
1. The ancient Teutonic name which was applied to an amercement which the vill in which a moerda or secret killing was committed, was liable to pay; or, if the vill was too poor, the whole hundred was amerced. See 4 Bl Comm 194. 
Excerpt from Max Radin, Handbook of Anglo-American Legal History 175-76 (1936):
“The readiness with which the Norman administrators seized on this Anglo-Saxon system was probably due to its effectiveness in collecting the murdrum, the murder fine. In ordinary cases of homicide, the whole district — except the kin of the suspect — would be zealous to bring the malefactor to justice. But we can readily see that, if the person killed was a Norman, every effort would be made to shield the murderer. The Norman rulers had recourse to the device . . . of imposing a group responsibility. The tithing within which the murdered Norman was found was compelled to pay a fine or to discover and surrender the homicide. The word murdrum is a word of uncertain etymology, and has given us our term for willful homicide.” 
3. Murder, specifically, murder with malice aforethought.
See MALICE AFORETHOUGHT. 
murdrare – To murder.
murdre – Murder.
murdritor – A murderer. 
Disclaimer: All material throughout this website is compiled in accordance with Fair Use.
: Black’s Law Dictionary Deluxe Tenth Edition by Henry Campbell Black & Editor in Chief Bryan A. Garner. ISBN: 978-0-314-62130-6
: Ballantine’s Law Dictionary with Pronunciations
Third Edition by James A. Ballantine (James Arthur 1871-1949). Edited by William S. Anderson. © 1969 by THE LAWYER’S CO-OPERATIVE PUBLISHING COMPANY. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 68-30931
: Theodore F.T. Plucknett, A Concise History of the Common Law 445 (5th ed. 1956).
: Max Radin, Handbook of Anglo-American Legal History 175-76 (1936).
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