Iowa Code » Chapter 707 — HOMICIDE AND RELATED CRIMES
Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 707.2 (2026)

Murder in the first degree

✓ current as of July 2026
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1. A person commits murder in the first degree when the person commits murder under any of the following circumstances: a. The person willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation kills another person. b. The person kills another person while participating in a forcible felony. c. The person kills another person while escaping or attempting to escape from lawful custody. d. The person intentionally kills a peace officer, correctional officer, public employee, or hostage while the person is imprisoned in a correctional institution under the jurisdiction of the Iowa department of corrections, or in a city or county jail. e. The person kills a child while committing child endangerment under section 726.6, subsection 1, paragraph “b”, or while committing assault under section 708.1 upon the child, and the death occurs under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life. f. The person kills another person while participating in an act of terrorism as defined in section 708A.1. 2. Murder in the first degree is a class “A” felony. 3. For purposes of determining whether a person should register as a sex offender pursuant to the provisions of chapter 692A, the fact finder shall make a determination as provided in section 692A.126. [C51, §2569, 2572; R60, §4192, 4195; C73, §3849, 3852; C97, §4728, 4747, 4796; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §12911, 12924, 12961; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §690.2, 692.1, 697.1; C79, 81, §707.2] 83 Acts, ch 96, §118, 159; 94 Acts, ch 1172, §42; 2002 Acts, ch 1075, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 119, §48; 2013 Acts, ch 30, §199 Referred to in §331.802, 671A.2, 692A.101, 692A.102, 692A.126, 703.3, 811.1, 902.1, 910.3A Definition of forcible felony, see §702.11

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 279 cases (55 in the last 5 years), 1948–2026 · leading case: State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison, 914 N.W.2d 178 (Iowa 2018).
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State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison, 914 N.W.2d 178 (Iowa 2018). · cites it 60× “” Iowa Code § 707.2 (1)(b) (2015). 3 This definition of first-degree murder is known as the felony-murder rule, and it “began as a common-law doctrine of criminal law that any death resulting from the commission or attempted commission of a felony constitutes murder.”
State v. Heemstra, 721 N.W.2d 549 (Iowa 2006). · cites it 56× “Iowa Code § 707.2 (2) (2001). A forcible felony is defined in our criminal code as "any felonious child endangerment, assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, arson in the first degree, or burglary in the first degree.”
State v. Newell, 710 N.W.2d 6 (Iowa 2006). · cites it 10× “See Iowa Code § 707.2 (2001) (defining murder in the first degree).”
State of Iowa v. Denem Anthony Null, 836 N.W.2d 41 (Iowa 2013). · cites it 8× “In 2010, the State charged Null with first-degree murder, a class “A” felony, see Iowa Code § 707.2 (2009), after he shot Kevin Bell with a handgun during the commission of a robbery at Bell’s apartment.”
State of Iowa v. Jeffrey K. Ragland, 836 N.W.2d 107 (Iowa 2013). · cites it 8× “Iowa Code § 707.2 (6). The only sentence provided by our legislature for a class “A” felony is for the offender to be committed to the department of corrections “for the rest of the defendant’s life.”
State of Iowa v. Yvette Marie Louisell, 865 N.W.2d 590 (Iowa 2015). · cites it 12× “Compare Iowa Code § 707.2 (defining first-degree murder as a class “A” felony), and id.”
State of Iowa v. Damion John Seats, 865 N.W.2d 545 (Iowa 2015). · cites it 8× “In 1988, when Louisell was sentenced to LWOP, few if any participants in the proceedings would have predicted Louisell would shed the disabilities of youth given the nature of her crime.”
State v. Beeman, 315 N.W.2d 770 (Iowa 1982). · cites it 11× “The first prong stated the elements of premeditated murder pursuant to section 707.2(1). The second prong was based on the felony of sexual abuse under section 707.”
State of Iowa v. Daimonay Darice Richardson, 890 N.W.2d 609 (Iowa 2017). · cites it 4× “See Iowa Code § 707.2 . Before trial, Richardson entered into a plea agreement with the State.”
State v. Aswegan, 331 N.W.2d 93 (Iowa 1983). · cites it 14× “Defendant Aswegan appeals from his conviction on three counts of first-degree murder, a violation of Iowa Code section 707.2. He raises issues relating to competency to stand trial, admission of evidence, included offenses, and ineffective assistance of counsel.”
State Of Iowa Vs. Stanley Alan Tribble, 790 N.W.2d 121 (Iowa 2010). · cites it 7× “See Iowa Code § 707.2 (2), (3), (5), (6) (2005).”
State of Iowa v. Kevin Deshay Ambrose, 861 N.W.2d 550 (Iowa 2015). · cites it 4× “Ambrose was charged with murder in the first degree in violation of Iowa Code section 707.2, two counts of attempt to commit murder in violation of section 707.”
Show all 279 citing cases →
— Iowa Code § 707.2(1) — 31 cases
State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison, 914 N.W.2d 178 (Iowa 2018). “” Iowa Code § 707.2 (1)(b) (2015). 3 This definition of first-degree murder is known as the felony-murder rule, and it “began as a common-law doctrine of criminal law that any death resulting from the commission or attempted commission of a felony constitutes murder.”
State v. Heemstra, 721 N.W.2d 549 (Iowa 2006). “Iowa Code § 707.2 (2) (2001). A forcible felony is defined in our criminal code as "any felonious child endangerment, assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, arson in the first degree, or burglary in the first degree.”
State v. Hood, 346 N.W.2d 481 (Iowa 1984).
State v. Rhomberg, 516 N.W.2d 803 (Iowa 1994).
State v. Beeman, 315 N.W.2d 770 (Iowa 1982). “The first prong stated the elements of premeditated murder pursuant to section 707.2(1). The second prong was based on the felony of sexual abuse under section 707.”
— Iowa Code § 707.2(1)(A) — 1 case
State of Iowa v. Stephen Devon Phillips (Iowa Ct. App. 2023).
— Iowa Code § 707.2(1)(a) — 26 cases
State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison, 914 N.W.2d 178 (Iowa 2018). “” Iowa Code § 707.2 (1)(b) (2015). 3 This definition of first-degree murder is known as the felony-murder rule, and it “began as a common-law doctrine of criminal law that any death resulting from the commission or attempted commission of a felony constitutes murder.”
State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison (Iowa 2018).
State of Iowa v. Tran Lee Walker (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).
State of Iowa v. Roderick Ward (Iowa Ct. App. 2017).
State of Iowa v. Robert Charles Stern (Iowa Ct. App. 2017).
— Iowa Code § 707.2(1)(b) — 7 cases
State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison, 914 N.W.2d 178 (Iowa 2018). “” Iowa Code § 707.2 (1)(b) (2015). 3 This definition of first-degree murder is known as the felony-murder rule, and it “began as a common-law doctrine of criminal law that any death resulting from the commission or attempted commission of a felony constitutes murder.”
State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison (Iowa 2018).
State of Iowa v. Juan Antonio Nino-Estrada (Iowa Ct. App. 2017).
Bobby Joe Morris v. State of Iowa (Iowa Ct. App. 2019).
State of Iowa v. Traavon Nathan Thomas (Iowa Ct. App. 2025).
— Iowa Code § 707.2(1)(e) — 5 cases
State of Iowa v. Alicia Marie Rios (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).
State of Iowa v. Walter Cordell Williams (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).
State of Iowa v. Chad Little (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).
Anna Sothman v. State of Iowa (Iowa 2021).
State of Iowa v. Yemissi Nadege Keto (Iowa Ct. App. 2025).
— Iowa Code § 707.2(2) — 36 cases
State v. Heemstra, 721 N.W.2d 549 (Iowa 2006). “Iowa Code § 707.2 (2) (2001). A forcible felony is defined in our criminal code as "any felonious child endangerment, assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, arson in the first degree, or burglary in the first degree.”
State v. Beeman, 315 N.W.2d 770 (Iowa 1982). “The first prong stated the elements of premeditated murder pursuant to section 707.2(1). The second prong was based on the felony of sexual abuse under section 707.”
State v. Oliver, 341 N.W.2d 744 (Iowa 1983).
State v. Aswegan, 331 N.W.2d 93 (Iowa 1983). “Defendant Aswegan appeals from his conviction on three counts of first-degree murder, a violation of Iowa Code section 707.2. He raises issues relating to competency to stand trial, admission of evidence, included offenses, and ineffective assistance of counsel.”
State v. Newell, 710 N.W.2d 6 (Iowa 2006). “See Iowa Code § 707.2 (2001) (defining murder in the first degree).”
— Iowa Code § 707.2(5) — 6 cases
State v. Thompson, 570 N.W.2d 765 (Iowa 1997).
State v. Opperman, 826 N.W.2d 131 (Iowa Ct. App. 2012).
State of Iowa v. Ryan N. Trowbridge (Iowa Ct. App. 2014).
Joseph Boose Jr., Applicant-Appellant v. State of Iowa (Iowa Ct. App. 2014).
Randy L. Blanchard, Applicant-Appellant v. State of Iowa (Iowa Ct. App. 2014).
— Iowa Code § 707.2(l) — 1 case
State v. Buenaventura, 660 N.W.2d 38 (Iowa 2003).
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